Diamond in the Rough
by Violet Horizon
Summary: AU Whenever a crime is committed, execution is always the answer. But when a young thief is caught stealing, a devilish prince decides to give him another punishment: making him his personal servant. Now the infamous thief is forced to serve the prince for a year, but if he doesn't cooperate with him, then his service will increase for a much longer time. Seb x Ciel
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji~ **

**A/N: I know there's like a billion fics about Sebastian taking Ciel in to take care of him and such, and I'm guilty of making one already. However, this is a bit different 'cause not only are the roles reverse with Sebastian being the master and Ciel the servant, but Sebastian's a prince of a fictional Middle Eastern country in which he doesn't exactly take care of Ciel, but punishes him by giving him lots of work and ordering him around. Since the roles are reversed there's gonna be some OOCness.**

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His mind was racing as he dashed through the night lit streets. He held to a snake-scale bag as firmly as he could muster. He heard the guards yelling at him to stop and surrender, but he couldn't. His breath was coming short and his legs were at the brink of collapsing, but he refused to stop. The night air was cold as a harsh wind stung his face and his skin was turning numb.

His knuckles transitioned to a deathly white color as his grip on the bag tightened. The small bag swayed crazily in the air but was weighted down by the precious materials inside. He had just stolen the most valuable of jewels and was getting away. He should've planned this thoroughly like his other schemes, but this time he was just having those days where he couldn't think straight. He climbed up a steep ladder and came up to a building, the guards weren't far behind as they followed him. He heard more of them coming in all directions and he had to move fast. He leaped off of the building and landed on the next. He did the same with the next building, running and dashing to the following.

All the other nights were entertaining because he was able to get away, but this time he was losing it. Maybe it was because he was sick, maybe it was because he was tired, he wasn't too sure. All he knew was that he couldn't stop and surrender, he couldn't let his reputation as a master thief go to waste, not a chance. However, he accidently tripped and toppled off the roof of a house. He landed in a trashcan, his small form filling a large portion of it. He landed in a rather awkward position with his arms and legs sticking out with the rest of the body squeezed in. He yanked himself out and fell on his face upon the sandy ground.

He didn't have time to brush the trash off of him as he broke back into another run. His legs felt like they were going to break but he kept on running, however he couldn't stay like this. He came around the house till he found an old well. The stones around the well were cracked and the rope was ripped with the bucket chipped. He took cautious steps towards it and held his hand out where the bag dangled over the well.

He wanted to get rid of the jewels instead of just running away with them. He knew he was going to get caught now and if he wasn't going to get the jewels, no one will. His fingers started to loosen gradually, but before he could let it go, the silver blade of a machete was against his throat.

"Don't move." A guard ordered in a harsh voice. The boy was completely surrounded as more guards came and blocked every path he had to escape. The guards were all armed and there was no way the boy could get pass them. They were all huge and muscular compared to the boy's tiny frame.

As the boy's fingers gradually slipped from the bag, the closer the blade got to his neck. The boy froze and glared at his pursuer whom was smirking down at him scornfully. Around him, all the guards were doing the same, smirking.

The boy wanted to run but couldn't, he was finally caught and was either going to surrender or die here. He didn't know what to choose at that moment. His thoughts were hazy and it felt like the night became much colder than it should.

"What's going on here?"

The guards suddenly withdrew themselves as someone stepped through. The person was a man in his late teens with black hair partially covered by a turban, adorned with a golden chain of rubies. His attire was of robes made of rich, velvety silk of different shades of burgundy and ebony that trailed down to his beaded slippers. The guards were surprised to know that it was the prince and so they bowed their heads respectfully. The prince glared at the guard holding the blade up against the boy's throat.

"We caught the thief, sire." The guard announced proudly, ripping the bag out of the boy's hand. "He stole these."

The young lord snatched the bag from the guard's hands; he held the bag upside down and let all the jewels fall upon his palm. He examined all of the precious gems curiously before placing them back in the bag.

"So this is the master thief that has been roaming the streets of my father's kingdom, acting as a phantom as he steals whatever he can for a hobby, correct?" The teen inquired.

"Yes, sire. He has been such a troublesome little brat for years but we finally got him. Now we're going to take him to prison where he'll soon be executed for his crimes." The guard chuckled excitedly but the young lord wasn't amused. Actually, there wasn't an ounce of emotion on the teen's face as he gazed down at the dirty child in ragged clothes.

"So that is your plan?" The teen asked as he crossed his arms, his oversized sleeves covering a large majority of his limbs except for his long, slim fingers.

"Of course, sire. We do this for all of the criminals in your father's kingdom. No matter if they're young or old, regardless of the kind of crime; they get the same punishment." The guard exclaimed.

"And these are my father's rules?" The teen now asked.

"Yes, sire."

"Is my father here?"

"No, sire."

"So who's in charge now?"

"You are, sire."

"Correct, so here's _my_ rule." The young lord took away the guard's sword and struck the blade upon the sand to everyone's surprise. "This boy will not be taken prisoner and executed for his crimes. Instead, he'll become my servant."

"Wha—what!"The guard's face twisted to an expression of perplexity as he stared in disbelief. "But, prince Sebastian—"

"Do I have to repeat myself?" Sebastian asked, his scarlet eyes narrowing to give a sense of uneasiness to his subjects.

"N—no. . ." The guard stuttered apprehensively and got down on his trembling knees."But if I may ask . . .why would you want this child to be your servant?"

"Why not?" Sebastian took hold of the boy's chin and gazed into his cerulean eyes."I'd like to teach this child some discipline; perhaps a year will do it. However, if he doesn't cooperate, he will stay as my servant for a much longer time."

The boy wasn't thrilled about the proposal, but at least it was better than going to jail. He wanted to say something but his voice was caught in his dry throat. He was also still out of breath from the running and was entirely exhausted.

"What's your name?" Sebastian now asked the boy, his voice was very soothing and calm, unlike the guard's which was insensitive. The boy gazed down solemnly and shook his head.

"I don't think I have one . . . I've just been called a thief for as long as I can remember." The boy exclaimed quietly.

"Oh? Then I should give you one then." Sebastian suggested, and pondered about the perfect name as he examined the boy thoroughly, specifically his eyes, which reminded him of the deep blue sky.

"Ciel."

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**A/N: Short chapter is short so nothing much to talk about, but please review, I'd like to know what you guys think of this :) Also yeah, if you guys were thinking of Aladdin while reading this I don't blame you, I didn't intend for it to sound similar but I wanted to write a fic about Ciel being a thief and then my friend mentioned it should be set in the Middle East so those are really the only similarites. The fic's going to get pretty dark so there's no flying carpet or a genie or anything like that. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I understand that my last fic, Ashes to Ashes didn't go too well, so I want to make it up with this fic. It's better planned out (well despite the fact that I decided to change the rating, in result of fixing a few things, but it wasn't much.) and yeah. . .so if you've read Ashes to Ashes, don't fret, this is far diffrent and I won't use the same elements like I did before. And don't worry, Lizzy won't be in this fic for those who aren't fans of her. Now that's settled, here's chap 2~

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The palace was in the midst of the vast city, surrounded by a massive, stone wall so high that only the four spiraling, golden towers and dome could be shown from the exterior. The entrance to the palace was blocked by a bronze gate with a lookout situated at the top. The guard spotted the prince walking towards the gate with the young thief behind him.

Ciel had his hands bounded tightly by ropes and hung his head low as he walked. Sebastian held to the other end of the rope, making sure that the thief doesn't try to run away. The guards who were about to arrest Ciel were ordered by Sebastian to leave and that he'll only deal with the thief. The guards were reluctant at first but they had to follow the prince's orders.

Sebastian halted in front of the gate while Ciel nearly bumped into him. Ciel took a step back and gestured towards Sebastian's direction who was looking up at the lookout. The guard flinched to see the prince's dangerously furrowed eyes, indicating that he should open the gate without any question. The guard nodded and ordered the opening of the gate. Within seconds, the gate creaked open and revealed the entity of the palace. Four towers stood at each end of the white marble structure, rising above anything else.

A dome of pure gold was settled on top of the palace with small windows built in all around for streams of light to slip through. A short walkway led up to a long flight of stairs, ending at a pair of tall double doors, adjacent to the gate but with designs of animals carved into them. Silver door handles in the shape of elephant heads were situated side by side. Sebastian took one of the handles and knocked it a certain number of times before being invited in.

The doors swung opened gracefully, revealing the throne room that was lit up by candles that lined the walls of the circular chamber. The dome hovered over the chamber, accompanied by the moon's light which showered down and spilled its milky white light upon the glassy floor, making it glisten. The throne was situated at the far end of the chamber, supported by three steps where a tiger was nestled upon.

The tiger perked her head up curiously when the doors opened and faced Sebastian first with recognition, but growled in alert at Ciel. In exchange, Ciel sneezed lightly which shattered the silence in the spacious room. The tiger rushed across the chamber, coming at Ciel but then Sebastian stepped forward with open arms. The tiger pounced on Sebastian and joyfully licked all over the prince's face. Ciel watched in uncertainly and sneezed once more since he was allergic to cats, and tigers were definitely no exception.

The tiger hopped off of Sebastian, giving him room to wipe the slobber off his face. He patted the tiger on the head and stroked her delicately under the chin. The tiger was rather fat, Ciel presumed that she was probably stuffed with pounds of food every hour or something, it didn't look healthy. The tiger glared at Ciel, as if she had read his thoughts. She had bright amber eyes that glowed by the candle's light. The thief gulped down nervously but Sebastian steadied his pet, making sure she didn't attack.

"Sabirah is one of the royal families' pets," Sebastian exclaimed, scratching behind the tiger's ear playfully. "I expect you to take good care of her as well as the other animals."

"What other pets do you have?" Ciel asked curiously, holding in another sneeze.

"Camels, monkeys, elephants, birds—"

"Spiders."

A new voice rung up, nearly starting Ciel while Sebastian held a cold smile as someone stepped out of the darkness. The young man was around Sebastian's age with a similar frame but his eyes were a rich gold.

"I've collected a variety of different species of spiders, all poisonous. So I recommend not going near them unless you want to take the pleasure of being bitten by one and learn the sensation of death."

Sebastian's smile dropped at the rather disturbing statement. The prince released his hand from Sabirah to rest upon Ciel's shoulder.

"I'm sure the new servant wouldn't want to hear something like that on his first day of the job, Claude."

"New servant?" Claude, Sebastian's brother as well as the youngest prince by one year, glanced at Ciel intriguingly, examining him from his bare feet and up to his dirty face.

"Yes, I just recruited him." Sebastian remarked, following Claude's gaze as he kept staring at Ciel with interest. Claude ignored the filthiness of the boy and only focused on his cerulean eyes which instantly captivated him. Sebastian cleared his throat loudly to get Claude's attention until the latter blinked several times, adjusting back into reality.

"We should be going now; I should give him a tour of the palace before it gets too dark." Sebastian lightly tugged on the rope, silently ordering Ciel to follow him. The two walked past Claude who kept a curious eye on Ciel, Sebastian noticed and quickened his pace as they departed down a hallway.

Ciel looked over his shoulder to see Claude heading in a different direction. The thief instantly got an uncomfortable vibe from him.

"Just ignore him," Sebastian exclaimed calmly as they continued their way down the lengthy hall. "He may be my brother, but we're nothing alike. You're only going to be serving me and no one else. There are other servants in the palace that he can order around; you'll be seeing them shortly, if not they probably retired for the night, it is getting awfully late."

As the two descended through the palace, Ciel barely uttered any words as they came past nearly every room. Some rooms were locked out so Sebastian ordered Ciel not to go into any of them. He joked that there were lions in the locked rooms but Ciel wasn't amused.

Sebastian finally took Ciel to the servant's quarters at the far back of the palace. There were lots of empty rooms, all looking the same with a thin straw mat for a bed and a cheap wooden dresser. Some had windows, some didn't, and the walls around were like a cave with cracks and broken stone cluttered on the floor.

"Well this is no different from my place. . ." Ciel muttered as he stepped into his room.

"Then you should feel right at home." Sebastian remarked and untied the rope from Ciel's wrists. "First thing in the morning I'll give you your first job. Till then go to sleep, you have a long day tomorrow."

Ciel frowned slightly as he rubbed his wrists, which were faintly marked by the ropes. He sat down on the mat, uncomfortable as it was, it was better than sleeping on dirt. Sebastian left the room, shutting the door and making sure to lock it before his footsteps faded away.

There was a small window that was too high for Ciel to reach. The thief raised his head up to see what was outside, but could only spot a few stars within the darkness. Ciel laid back on the mat, turning his back on the door and curling his body to squeeze in some of his own body heat.

Ciel opened his mouth and picked at something lodged within his cheek. He popped out a silver ring with a shiny blue diamond embedded into it. Ciel wiped off the saliva with his wrinkled, dirty sleeve and held the ring close to him before falling asleep.

x~x~x~x~x

The tolling of a bell woke Ciel as he jumped up suddenly. Ciel groaned as the first rays of the sun flashed upon his eyes. It felt like he barely slept at all which was partially true. When Sebastian said that he was going to work first thing in the morning, he really did mean it. The sun had just risen and already, the servants were being woken up.

Ciel placed his ring underneath the straw mat before heading out of the room. Someone was ringing a bell so loudly that it felt like Ciel's ears were going to pop. When Ciel entered the hall, he spotted the obnoxious bell ringer.

The boy was probably in his mid teens with cropped blond hair and a rather feminine face since his green eyes were huge. He smiled rather cheerfully, calling for all the servants to wake up loudly as he kept on ringing the bell. Ciel had the dire urge to slap the bell out of the boy's hands, but refrained.

"Do you have to be so loud?" Ciel asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and letting out another yawn.

"Yup!" The teen smiled brightly but then he tilted his head and pursed his lips. "Hey, I don't think I've ever seen you before."

"Yeah. . .prince Sebastian made me a servant last night." Ciel exclaimed groggily.

"Ah, we could use a little more help. I'm Finny by the way; I'm the palace gardener." Finny greeted, shaking Ciel's hand in a friendly manner.

"I'm . . . Ciel." Ciel gazed down at his feet as Finny kept shaking his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Ciel. I'll introduce you to the other servants when they wake up." Finny exclaimed; he kept hoding Ciel's hand as he dragged him down the hall where they met up with the rest of the servants as they came out of their rooms.

"Oi, Finny. . .calm down with that bell, I think we can wake ourselves up." A man muttered as he rubbed his aching head.

"Sorry, Bard." Finny chuckled nervously. "I just wanted to make sure you guys didn't oversleep, remember the last time that we overslept? The sultan and princes were rather furious."

"Oh!" The only female servant gasped as she spotted Ciel and rushed over to him. "Who's this, Finny?"

"That's Ciel; Prince Sebastian made him a servant." Finny exclaimed.

"Oooh!" She adjusted her glasses, peering closely at Ciel. "He's adorable!"

Ciel stepped aside as the maid fawned over him. Then Ciel spotted one more servant who was a short old man with a rather large head. Finny introduced Ciel to all of the servants as well as introducing himself again. There was Finny, MeyRin, Bard and Tanaka.

"What are you all doing?"

The servants froze and turned to see Sebastian glaring at them. He pointed his finger towards the servants and gave them all orders. "Finny, trim the bushes in the courtyard. MeyRin, polish all of the vases in the grand hall. Bard, prepare breakfast for everyone. Tanaka . . . you're fine the way you are. And you—"Sebastian finally pointed to Ciel. "I got a special job for you."

x~x~x~x~x

"You want me to give your tiger a bath?" Ciel raised an eyebrow as he stared at the prince and then at the tiger who was lounging on a cushion.

"Yes." Sebastian nodded. "If you're going to be staying here for a year, you'll have to first grow accustomed to Sabirah so that she doesn't try to maul you every time she sees you. Sabirah enjoys her baths and if you're able to wash her properly, then she'll begin to like you and you'll have nothing to worry about."

"Can I make one thing clear?" Ciel began, looking up at Sebastian who was smiling a bit too smugly. "I'm allergic to cats, and unless you want me to get hives I am not going to give that cat a bath."

Sebastian's smile swiftly transitioned to a deep frown as he glared at Ciel, making him shudder. "Do I have to repeat an order to you, Ciel? Unless you want to spend an extra day, week, or month here in addition to the year that I've given you to serve me, I suggest you do what I say to make it easier for the both of us." Sebastian retorted and left the room, leaving Ciel with the tiger.

The room that they were in was Sabirah's own chamber with everything a spoiled cat could ask for: bed, bowl, bathtub, etc. Ciel let out a sneeze, alerting Sabirah, who stood up in alarm and crouched in a defensive stance. Ciel took a step back and waved his hands up as he steadied himself towards the bathtub.

"I'm just going to give you a bath, don't worry." Ciel assured calmly, reaching his hand towards a handle against the mosaic wall. He twisted the knob and watched hot water stream out of the hole above. The bath was soon filled up with water and steam was beginning to coat the air.

The thief turned back to Sabirah who was still in her hunched position, silently growling at him. Ciel searched around the tub for something to use and spotted a bar of soap. He grabbed the soap and meandered towards the tiger as safely as possible.

"I'm just going to clean you up, now please get in the tub." Ciel exclaimed in a soft voice, waving the soap around.

Sabirah growled, showing off her razor sharp teeth as she grinded them together. She bent down before jumping up suddenly to pounce on Ciel. The thief swiftly dodged before he could get trampled. He rushed across the room as Sabirah began chasing him around. Her paw swept at Ciel's legs, causing him to topple and roll across the floor. The soap slipped out of Ciel's grasp and slid past his reach. Ciel cursed silently and came face to face with Sabirah, who had him pinned down.

Sabirah opened her mouth, letting her smelly hot breath blast at Ciel's face. Ciel squeezed his eyes shut and felt his skin crawling with the allergic reactions that were already irritating her skin. Ciel nervously looked up at the tiger hovering over him, beliving that she was going to eat him whole any second.

Ciel tried to stay calm as he remembered how Sebastian treated the tiger. Ciel reached a cautious, trembling hand, placing it gently behind Sabirah's ear. Softly he began scratching behind Sabirah's ear as he wished that she wouldn't eat him. Fortunately, scratching behind the ear did indeed work in calming the big cat down, but only slightly. So, Ciel petted Sabirah's fur and praised her about how nice she was - although the spoiled tiger was everything but nice - yet, he had to think fast. Luckily, all of this was working and Sabirah moved away to give Ciel some room.

Ciel sat up and continued petting Sabirah, running his hand across the tiger's fur and giving her positive remarks on whatever he could think of. Sabirah purred and nuzzled her head against Ciel's hand, beginning to become fond of the new servant. Ciel sighed in relief but let out another sneeze. He picked up the soap and successfully used it to lure Sabirah into the bath that was starting to get cold.

Sabirah hopped into the bathtub and Ciel began washing her with some difficulty. Sabirah kept moving around the tub and whipping her tail at Ciel's face. Nonetheless, Sabirah was starting to like Ciel but Ciel begged to differ. He kept sneezing and swore that he probably was going to die from an allergic reaction.

Hopefully Ciel didn't have to give any of the elephants baths. . .

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**A/N:** So I was looking at pics of palaces in the Middle East to help me descirbe the palace here, but the palaces that I found were pretty modernized so it wasn't much help. This isn't set in a specific time period, it's just somewhere in the past. And yeah, I made Sebastian and Claude brothers. . .I personally don't like Claude but he's fairly important in this, especially later on. And about Ciel hiding a ring in his mouth, that will be explained soon, and yes I know it's gross but he's a theif so he had to hide that somewhere since he doesn't have pockets. So yeah, my plan is to give you guys a chap every week and hopefuly that goes well.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** I'm feeling pretty confident about this fic since I've been getting so many faves and alerts lately, so thank you, keep those reviews coming and I might update another chap this week instead of next~

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After giving Sabirah a bath - which took much longer than it should have - Ciel was finally done his first task out of a million. Ciel examined the damage on his skin and found hives all over the place. He refrained from scratching them and started to head out the room, but not before getting pounced by an entirely wet tiger. Ciel crashed onto his stomach as the fat tiger weighed him down. Ciel groaned, sneezed and was utterly ticked off. He was glad that Sabirah wasn't eating him, but the fact that she was nearly crushing him with her oversized belly wasn't the best reward to gain after finally getting along with her.

Luckily, the door swung open and Sebastian appeared. Ciel didn't know whether to be grateful or to be ticked that he had another job to do.

"Sabirah," Sebastian clapped his hands, getting the tiger's attention. "Get off of him."

Sabirah willingly obeyed and climbed off of Ciel. She bounded over to Sebastian and received a gentle pat on the head. Ciel hoisted himself up and glanced at his drenched clothes and his reddened arms, deciding that he was the one that really needed a bath.

Sebastian came over to the thief and examined his arm and was about to touch it but Ciel yanked it away. "Don't touch it," Ciel muttered, retracting a few steps to safety. "It's your fault this happened, and if you wanted me to stay here for a long time then don't make me take care of that cat again. It took forever for me to get her in the tub and I nearly got myself eaten."

"Well you need to be more careful next time." Sebastian responded with a smirk that irked Ciel to no end. "Anyways, Bard made breakfast so go eat something before I assign you to your next job."

"I _was_ being careful." Ciel grumbled as he stomped out of the room, getting as far away from Sebastian and Sabirah as possible.

x~x~x~x~x

"Here you go." Bard exclaimed as he gave the servants their breakfast: burnt bread and jam. While cooking, Bard accidentally set the bread on fire, but luckily he was able to extinguish the flames before the bread became nothing but coal. Nonetheless, the breakfast didn't look that appetizing. But, since Ciel was starving, he dug right in.

The servants were seated around the table in the kitchen while the royals ate a much more elaborate breakfast in the dining hall. Bard still accidentally burnt the food for the princes, but since he almost always charred their food to near crisps, the princes get used to it. . . well, most of the time.

Ciel finished up his plate faster than anyone else and didn't care if the bread tasted stale and the jam was soggy, he was famished.

"So Ciel," Bard started, finishing up his meal with a final gulp. "Why did the prince make you a servant? Do you have special talents or something?"

"No." Ciel responded, but paused as he pondered. "Well, unless you count stealing as a talent."

"You steal!" Finny nearly choked on his drink.

"Well the prince is making me learn some dumb lesson about not to steal anymore. Last night I stole some jewels and I was about to get arrested, but the prince came and ordered the guards not to arrest me. Apparently he doesn't like the sultan's rules."

All of the servant's eyes widened as they exchanged shocked looks before turning back to the thief, saying in unison: "Prince Sebastian disobeyed the sultan?"

"Yeah." Ciel nodded.

Bard pushed his back against the wooden chair and scratched his chin, pursing his lips while rocking his head from side to side. "It is rather strange that the prince would break one of his father's laws, but then again. . .the sultan is away at war, making prince Sebastian in charge. However, the prince will have to make sure the sultan doesn't find out that there's a thief at the palace."

"He's probably going to kick me out." Ciel exclaimed. "But the prince said that I was staying for a year in order to learn my lesson."

"Hmmm. . ." Meyrin now pondered. "Well, prince Sebastian always gets away with things, I'm sure you'll be fine, Ciel."

"What do you mean by that?" Ciel raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, I think you'll find out soon enough." Meyrin responded confidently, but Ciel thought that she was being too naive about this. Meyrin stood up and collected everyone's empty plates before heading off to wash them, but nearly tripped on her way.

Ciel started to tap his fingers mindlessly on the table, wondering what his next job could be while Finny and Bard discussed what Sebastian could be planning. Ciel only cared about getting out of the palace as soon as possible.

Ciel soon exited the kitchen and decided to take a small walk around the palace, trying not to get lost along the way. Since he was going to be staying there for a year - if not more - he might as well know his way around. On the other hand, he could find a way to escape. Taking another look around, he decided that the palace was too heavily guarded and that escaping would be nearly impossible.

The thief soon came across the grand hall where artifacts from past dynasties lined the walls. From decorative vases to elaborate statues, they were all made out of the richest materials and jewels. Ciel examined a glass case that contained a knife with the handle coated in diamonds. The diamonds sparkled miraculously and the silver blade mirrored Ciel's intrigued expression. The thief picked up the case and gently began to lift up the lid until -

"Don't touch that!" It was Meyrin. She scurried over to Ciel's side, waving her arms in the air crazily. "That knife is very, vey valuable!" she exclaimed abruptly. The servant cautiously took the case from Ciel and placed it back on the small column where it was before. "Please be careful with those, it's kind of ironic for me to say since I've broken a few things in a past but believe me, I got in a lot of trouble."

"Alright, I'll be careful." Ciel fathomed that-with the importance of the items- it was necessary to be careful if he didn't want to be here for the rest of his life. As soon as those thoughts crossed his mind, his feet swiped back with the lack of knowledge that there was something behind him. Ciel accidentally bumped into a statue of an elephant that wobbled before colliding with the ground. The statue broke into large chunks, emitting a sharp crash that echoed through the hall followed by Meyrin's shriek.

"Oh dear! That statue was at least six hundred years old and a very precious treasure, yes!" Meyrin cried, dropping to her knees and collecting the fallen pieces. "Oh this is bad, this is very bad!"

"Uh. . ." Ciel froze, stepping away from the rest of the artifacts and looking at the catastrophe he created. "Is there a way to fix it?"

"I'm afraid not. Look at how many pieces it's in now!"Meyrin bit down on her thumb, freaking out much more than Ciel was - even though_ he_ was the one who bumped into the statue. When a frightening image flashed before his eyes, Ciel felt himself trembling at the realization that Sebastian would not only lock him up in this place for the rest of his life, but probably keep his skeleton chained to a pole somewhere in the palace for the rest of eternity. _Now, _he decided, _is the time to panic._

"Where is the prince?" Ciel asked, feeling goosebumps crawling up his skin but tried to remain calm.

"He's still eating his breakfast." Meyrin remarked nervously.

"Hmmm. . ." Ciel though, glancing down at the pieces. "Lets try putting the statue back together, and if that doesn't work. . .we'll try something else. Is there anything that we can do to fix the pieces?"

Meyrin looked around hastily with worry staining her features, still freaking out. She handed Ciel all of the broken pieces before hurrying down the hall. "Hold on!"

"I'm holding. . ." Ciel muttered with some of the chunks of marble in his arms. He hoped that none of the princes came through this hallway, he didn't want to imagine how angry Sebastian was going to get.

Soon Meyrin came back with a jar of honey and spoons. She almost tripped as she ran but luckily she arrived back to Ciel without causing another mess in the hall. She scooped up a spoonful of honey and handed it to Ciel.

"We'll use honey to stick the pieces together."

". . . Honey?" Ciel blinked several times. That was a weird choice but then again, they didn't have enough time to think of anything clever. He took the spoon and began to spread the glutinous substance around the edges of the broken pieces before piecing them together.

Ciel connected two large pieces successfully, squeezing the honey in tightly so it could stick without problems. He searched for other pieces that would connect well together alongside Meyrin who was still in a frenzy.

"We have to hurry, the princes should almost be done their meals, and if they see this-"

"Calm down," Ciel whispered calmly, even though he was concerned as well. "I honestly don't think this is going to work well, and if it doesn't. . . I'll think of something."

"R-right." Meyrin gulped and continued to spread more of the honey over the statue.

After several long attempts at making this work, the statue was completed. . . sort of. Honey was oozing out of the many cracks and the elephant looked rather disfigured.

"This is the best we can do. . ." Ciel concluded, wiping his sticky fingers on his clothes. "Do you think they will notice?"

"Ummm," MeyRin fidgeted with her fingers and shuffled her feet nervously. "Lets just hope they don't find out. . ."

"Right." Ciel nodded, still getting the honey off of his hands as the two swiftly departed down the hall.

x~x~x~x~x

For the rest of the day Ciel was given chores like cleaning the bathrooms and helping Bard prepare food - in result, making a big mess. However, there was no mention of the statue - which was now probably bleeding honey - so Ciel figured that the princes didn't notice a thing. On the other hand, the thief had a sickly feling in his stomach that Sebastian was going to find out sooner or later.

Night began to approach, announcing the end of Ciel's first long day at the palace. Ciel retired to his room but then stopped on his own accord, knowing that he wasn't going to sleep well tonight with the weight of guilt upon his shoulders. Ciel groaned and marched back to the grand hall to find the elephant statue now smothered in honey. The thief took a cloth to wipe off the mess, but that wasn't his main concern. He didn't know how long the honey would hold the statue together. It survived an entire day, but sooner or later it might just collapse. The thief would have to think of an alternative.

Ciel raced back into the kitchen and found the room entirely empty. The other servants went off to bed but he didn't know where the princes were. Ciel searched around the kitchen for something useful before finding some wood. He figured that if the statue wasn't going to work, he was going to make a miniature one to make up for it. So, Ciel got out a knife and brought the materials back to his room.

When Ciel returned, he lit a single candle, sat on his mat, and began carving a small replica of the statue. He used the knife diligently, carving up the wood accurately to form the shape of the elephant. Ciel started with the body and worked his way up to the head, being careful to include all of the exact details.

The thief scraped himself a few times with the blade, tearing bits of his skin accidentally as the knife swept astray. Ciel gritted his teeth, ignoring the stings as he continued to carve. The small candle stick next to him was gradually sinking but the candle kept ablaze, lighting a portion of the room in an orange glow.

Ciel scratched through the wood, cutting away unnecessary parts and letting the shavings drop to the floor. He concentrated hard but felt his eyes grow heavy from the lack of sleep. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and decided to rest momentarily before getting back to work.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and Ciel nearly slit open his hand with the knife. He laid the knife down and faced the door, wondering who would it might be.

"What?" Ciel asked, then felt his stomach drop when Sebastian entered with a stern frown. Ciel exchanged a similar frown. "Shouldn't you be in bed, _sire_?"

"I could ask the same for you. . . but yes, I should but I couldn't sleep."

"So what do you want?"

"I'd like to know what you're doing this late at night." Sebastian asked simply. "I heard something behind your door and saw light underneath it, are you planning an escape?"

"No." Ciel bluntly replied, even though he would have liked to figure out a plan to escape from his room, but he couldn't even reach his window. "Also I was making a sculpture." Ciel revealed his unfinished product. It fit entirely in his palm and stood lopsided with a few chips here and there.

Sebastian peered at the sculpture closely but didn't catch on to what it was exactly. "What is that?"

"An elephant. . ." Ciel replied, followed by several seconds of awkward silence before he added. "I'm not done yet but here's the legs, the body, the head, the ears." Ciel pointed to each part accordingly. "I just need to add details to the head like adding the eyes and the trunk."

"I see. . .well it looks rather good, then." Sebastian smiled just slightly, but Ciel didn't notice. "So why are you doing this?"

"Well," The thief began, turning away from Sebastian as he started to explain but feared the consequences. "You know that statue of the elephant in the grand hall?"

"Yes?"

"It's uh. . . .covered. In honey."

"Covered in honey?"

"Yes."

Another bought of uncomfortable silence swept by as Ciel gradually scooted a few feet away while Sebastian gave him a stern, suspicious look.

"You broke it, didn't you?"

Ciel flinched but reluctantly nodded, but swiftly countered back by saying: "But I knew that honey wasn't going to work well so I'm making it up to you by sculpting a replica."

Sebastian sighed, pinching his nose and closing his eyes as his eyebrows furrowed downward. "Lets see what the damage is."

x~x~x~x~x

Sebastian started in silence at the "fixed" elephant statue. The only sound emitted was his foot taping steadily on the floor and his fingers drumming on his crossed arms. He stared for a long time while Ciel stood beside him quietly, wanting to go away but Sebastian strictly ordered him to stay where he was.

Sebastian traced a finger around a crack where a string of honey seeped out. The honey stuck to the prince's skin but he brushed it off.

"I'll start by saying that another week has been added to your time here due to breaking and ruining this statue, so as punishment you will be making a new statue from scratch, same material and same design. However, you may finish your little project...I find it cute that you wanted to make a replica but that won't change my mind about the order I gave you. Tomorrow your job will just be sculpting the new statue, that's it." Sebastian ordered sternly.

"But aside from that miniature wood one that I simply carved, I've never sculpted in my life." Ciel exclaimed.

"Well then it'll take you much longer for you to sculpt this statue, but I'm sure you'll do find in the end, it just takes lots of practice." Sebastian smiled to assure him, but deep inside, Ciel wanted to punch him in the face. He felt a vein in his head almost pop from the anger that was boiling beneath his pale skin, but he kept composed. He bowed mockingly and responded in a disgusted tone. "Of course, _sire_." before heading back to his room.

When Ciel returned back to his room, he tossed the unfinished wooden figure aside where it slammed against the stone wall. He angrily flopped down on the mat and searched around for his ring. When he found it, he laced his fingers around the glistening stone and only wished for his escape from the prison-like palace.

* * *

**A/N:** I don't think honey is strong enough to hold broken pieces of stone together, but whatever, it's magic honey so go with it. I was thinking bout glue but then realized that glue probably didn't exist back in ancient times. . .


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Bit of an early update, I'm probably gonna do a lot of early updates since I want to get as many chaps done before college starts. So apparently glue did exist in ancient times. . . oh well, the whole honey thing is over with now lets get on to some more serious stuff.

* * *

Ciel was given a large block of marble and tools to make the statue and groaned in great annoyance. What was worse was that Sebastian was going to be watching him as he sculpted. Ciel stood atop a stool - a compensation for his height - and positioned the chisel over a portion of stone with the hammer on top.

Steadily he began tapping the hammer onto the chisel, breaking parts of the marble off. Ciel concentrated hard to get this right, one little mistake could have ruined the entire product.

Sebastian observed with mild amusement and curiosity dancing in his scarlet eyes. He grinned casually while watching his new servant. Ciel struggled, but kept his pride as he continued to work. The boy was actually doing pretty well despite never building a statue before.

The thief's hands trembled each time he pounded down on the chisel but he kept himself focused. He knew that Sebastian was watching him, but Ciel didn't mind him that much after a while. The prince didn't say anything or make any crude remarks about the thief's progress.

Ciel had a long way to go until completion, but he was off to a good start. Ciel knew what he was doing as he broke off unnecessary pieces and began forming the body of the elephant. Just like for the wooden figure, he started at the bottom and worked his way up, saving the intricate details for last.

"Would you like to take a break?" Sebastian asked. It was almost afternoon and Ciel had just finished working on the legs. The boy got off the stool and placed the tools down. He turned to Sebastian and nodded, then felt his stomach rumbling; he hadn't eaten all day.

"Yeah, I'm starving." Ciel grumbled, clutching his stomach which felt like it was going to explode.

"Alright, make yourself something." Sebastian remarked. "After you're done eating, get back to work."

"Fine." Ciel rolled his eyes and sighed before heading off to the kitchen.

Sebastian watched Ciel walk off as he stayed at his spot against the wall. He glanced back at the unfinished statue but heard footsteps coming his way, already knowing who it was.

"So how's the new servant?" Claude asked curiously.

"He's doing fine." Sebastian responded, keeping his focus on the statue instead of his brother who was smirking unnecessarily as he usually did.

"If he's being any trouble to you than I can take him off your hands."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes and finally faced Claude with an ounce of annoyance washed upon his face. "Just to make things clear for you, Claude, Ciel is my _personal_ servant and I don't want you messing with him, understood?"

"Hmph." Claude chuckled. "Do you think I'm untrustworthy or something?"

"I'm just saying that he's my servant, not yours." Sebastian exclaimed in a serious tone.

"Fine, fine." Claude nodded in understanding but Sebastian didn't believe him. The older teen began to walk away but was stopped by his brother's next comment. "Just don't get too comfortable with him, he's merely just a servant, nothing more."

"Then why are you so interested in him?" Sebastian asked.

"He seems to be more useful than those other servants. . . how about you? Why did you chose him to be your 'personal' servant?"

"Like you said, he seems to be more useful." Sebastian smiled simply before walking off, but Claude was suspecious of his brother's peculiar attitude

x~x~x~x~x

After eating lunch, Ciel did what he was told and continued to work on the statue. He got up onto the stool again and worked on the formation of the body. Diligently he tapped around, scrapping away stone and adding texture to make the statue realistic. His hands still trembled every so often, but he kept still and focused on his work, not letting anything distract him.

He was alone in the hallway while the other servants were tending to their respective jobs and the princes were doing whatever. Ciel was grateful that Sebastian wasn't watching him, even though he barely noticed his presence. Regardless, he was fine with being alone.

But then, a huge crash disturbed Ciel's concentration, forcing his tools to slam into each other with the chisel painfully striking his hand. The tool broke through the skin and it felt like it could crush his bones if he didn't pulled it out in time. Ciel dropped the tools and clutched his bleeding hand, glaring at what could have caused this mishap.

Meyrin accidentally dropped a few flower pots and all that was left was a large puddle of water, flowers, soil and hundreds of broken pieces. The maid started freaking out as she dived down to clean up the mess.

The huge crash caused Sebastian to burst out from one of the rooms and stomp over to see what happened. He glared at Meyrin who was probably setting a record on how many items she could break in a week. The prince stood before the maid, crossing his arms as he inspected the mess disapprovingly.

"Meyrin. . ." Sebastian began with a strained sigh, rubbing his temple at the stress of dealing with this once more.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, prince Sebastian!" Meyrin cried, collecting all of fallen pieces as frantically as possible.

"Just clean up the mess." The prince exclaimed briefly.

Meyrin nodded, her eyes blurred with tears as she felt a weight of shame upon her. She scurried off to fetch a broom and while that was happening, Ciel was still clutching his bleeding hand. Sebastian came up to Ciel and was about to ask how he was doing until he noticed his hand. Sebastian helped the boy off of the stool to examine the wound but the theif stubbornly yanked his hand away.

"Don't touch it." Ciel hissed, but Sebastian clearly wasn't going to tolerate that again as he executed a tight grip on the boy's arm.

"Do you want it to get infected?" Sebastian inquired, leaning close to Ciel so they were looking eye to eye. He was waiting for an answer but the thief was quiet and just glared back. "I'll get you something for it." Sebastian assured and led Ciel down the hall to the bathroom.

Sebastian set Ciel down on a chair while the prince ran a towel over cold water. He gently took Ciel's hand. The younger one was quiet as the prince dabbed the towel onto the wound. The thief flinched at the stinging pain, but it didn't last long. Sebastian wiped off the remaining blood and numbed the wound with the cold water. Then, he got out a bandage and wrapped it around Ciel's hand before tying it into a tiny knot.

"There, now-"

"Get back to work, right?"Ciel immediately guessed as he rolled his eyes.

"No, I wasn't going to say that." Sebastian remarked sternly to Ciel's surprise. "I want you to take a break for the rest of the day. You've done enough and I can't have any of my servants working when they're injured."

Ciel blinked serval times, adjusting to what the prince had just said to him. He looked around curiously, making sure he wasn't talking to anyone else but they were the only people in the room. Ciel turned back to the prince who was smiling a genuine smile, making the boy blush faintly.

"Is. . .that an order?" Ciel asked with a shamefully shy tone in his voice.

"Yes, and if you don't follow it, I'll add another week for your service." Sebastian's smile spread wider, causing the blush on Ciel's cheeks to deepen. He shot up from the chair and headed straight for the door before the prince could notice.

"Of course, sire." He replied, the usual sarcasm absent from his words.

x~x~x~x~x

Ciel laid back on the mat in his room and raised his bandaged hand, turning it side to side for a bit before laying it back on his side. The wound wasn't hurting so much anymore; it was reduced to a dull throbbing that quickly subsided.

Ciel sat up on the mat, glancing over at the wall where some of the stone had broken off. He scooted over to take a small piece of stone - with his good hand - and began cutting away at the wall. He was carving in long, squiggly lines, marking all the days that he had left in the palace. He crossed off the first line, indicating his first day there and took note of all of the days he had left. Since he had another week added to the punishment, he had three hundred and seventy-one days left there.

A majority of the wall was now covered in those three hundred and seventy-one lines. When Ciel was finished, he nearly stepped on the sculpture for the prince. It lay there on the floor against the wall with some broken chips around it. Ciel collected the figure in his uncut hand and sat down underneath the multiple lines. He twirled the figure around, trying to see what he had left to work on.

He used the broken piece of stone to start carving again, but didn't get too far when a knock interrupted him. He answered the door, knowing full well who it was as Sebastian came in.

"What are you doing?" Sebastian asked.

"Carving." Ciel answered, too engrossed in his work to notice Sebastian now standing before him.

"Didn't I tell you not to work?"

"You didn't say that carving this actually counted as work. I'm just doing this for myself." Ciel remarked, cutting off another piece.

"I see. . ." Sebastian nodded but then noticed something shiny in between the straws of the mat. He went over to the mat, raised it up slightly, and spotted the ring with the glistening blue diamond. Sebastian picked up the ring and came back over to Ciel. "What's this?"

When the thief saw that Sebastian was holding the ring, all the color drained from Ciel's face and he instantly dropped the figure. Ciel jumped up to grab the ring but Sebastian held the jewel away from the thief's reach as he spoke. "So I guess the little thief was still hiding some things from me."

"Give it back!" Ciel yelled, jumping up again to snatch the ring but Sebastian was too tall.

"First you have to tell me where you stole-"

"I didn't steal it!" Ciel snapped furiously, throwing his hand up to slap Sebastian but the prince grabbed his arm before he could carry out the gesture.

"Then explain to me about this ring then." Sebastian hissed venomously before letting go of the thief. Ciel stumbled backwards but he composed himself and glared at the disappointed prince.

"That ring. . .was given to me by my parents." Ciel exclaimed. He sat back down against the wall and pulled his knees to his chest as he began. "I was taken from my parents when I was really young, I don't know how old I was but all I remember is their hands letting go of mine as I was pulled away, and them leaving this ring on my thumb. Someone took me to this place with a lot of other kids, all young and scared like I was. . .I stayed there for a long time, confused and not feeling safe, even though there were people there trying to help,

"A few years later I ran out of that place. . .it was in the middle of the night where I snuck into a basket that was being carried by a camel. But then I was spotted by a group of bandits who asked me who I was. At that point I didn't even remember my name so I had nothing to say. They noticed the ring that I had and presumed that I stole it...just like you did...and I tried to explain that I didn't, but they seemed rather proud of me so I didn't argue. They told me that the blue diamond was an extraordinarily rare gem and having one meant that you'd have a lucky life.

"The bandits let me keep the ring and allowed me join their group. They called me Smile even though I never did smile, but they encouraged me to do so. I never got used to that name since it sounded stupid, but they called me that anyway, but I preferred to be called a thief. None of the members were related but they called each other a family, and I was technically a younger brother to them.

"We traveled around the desert, stealing from villages and we became infamous for our schemes; especially me since I stole in the most clever ways. So I ended up doing most of the schemes, whether it was stealing food or jewels, it became a hobby for me for several years. Later I parted ways with them since I wanted to do my own thing and they wouldn't listen to me. So I came here, living as a solo master thief and stealing whatever. I don't know where the others went, but I honestly don't care. " Ciel concluded. He looked up at Sebastian who was listening clearly with a frown as he kept holding the ring. "Can I have the ring back?"

"Just wait a minute-"

"What else can I tell you?" Ciel groaned, agitated as he curled his hands into fists, ready to make another attempt to hit Sebastian. "Do you not believe me? What is it?"

"No, I do believe you." Sebastian whispered calmly. "Stealing is one of the worst crimes you can commit here, and you're lucky that I was able to take you in without my father knowing. Throughout this year I want you to learn to not steal anymore and when you leave, I don't want you to go back to those bandits."

"I wasn't intending on doing that," Ciel muttered, unraveling his fists and laying his hands on his knees. "I don't even know where they are anyway. I parted permanently from them years ago."

Sebastian paused, and as he thought of something, he sat down next to Ciel and held the ring in his palm. The blue diamond faced Ciel's direction and sparkled miraculously in the afternoon sun's light.

"Would you like to search for you parents then?" Sebastian suggested.

Ciel stared down at the ring with a sliver of hope crossing his mind, but then the thought shattered and he shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous. . . I doubt they're still alive."

"You never said what happened to them, so how could you be sure that they're dead?"

"It's just ridiculous. . ." Ciel scoffed, facing away from Sebastian and resting his head against the wall. "I don't know, even if they _are_ alive, how should I know where to find them?"

"Wouldn't you want to try and find them anyway?" Sebastian asked, but Ciel stayed quiet. Sebastian waited for his answer but the thief kept himself motionless against the wall, huddling into his knees and staring at nothing in particular. "You can give me an answer later, then. And when you're feeling better, get back to work, all right?" Sebastian placed the ring next to Ciel and left the boy with his thoughts.

* * *

**A/N:** Now we finally got a chap where Sebastian is not being a total jerk and good Sebastian and Ciel interaction~ And yes, the group of bandits that Ciel joined are some of the characters from the circus arc (which btw should be animated, actually there needs to be a whole reboot of the anime that follows the manga.) and yes, they'll be making an appearance here. So I'm getting a ton of story alerts and favs, which is great, but I'd like to know your thoughts on this so please review and I'll make another early update~


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** This chap was supposed to get updated earlier but I went to the beach and my comp became a hassle coz internet wasn't working for some reason, but everything's good now~

* * *

For the rest of the day, Ciel worked on the wooden sculpture and was able to complete it. He wasn't too thrilled about the final product, despite it being well crafted and detailed. He didn't show it to Sebastian-since there was barely a point-so he placed the sculpture securely in a corner.

Ciel hadn't made up his mind about whether he wanted to find his parents or not. He just dropped the idea since it was rather meaningless. When Ciel was finished, it was almost dinner time, but the thief didn't have much of an appetite.

Perhaps he didn't want to eat anymore of Bard's cooking. However, he would have to eat the man's cooking for the next several months. If that was the case, then Ciel considered cooking his own food, and decided that's what he should do.

He walked into the kitchen to find Bard finishing up with dinner. He took a quick peek at the food but immediately declined; it didn't look much like food but more like burnt lumps.

"Um. . . Bard," Ciel began, not knowing what the lumps were and getting the feeling that he didn't want to know. "I think I'm going to make something for myself. . .I'd like to try something new."

"Like what?" Bard asked.

Ciel glanced around the massive kitchen at all the materials available. He then spotted a large pot alone on a counter.

"Maybe some soup?" Ciel shrugged.

"Do you know how to make soup?"

"No. . . but I can try it out." _Anything to avoid eating coal._ Ciel thought desperately but held a fake smile.

"Alright, help yourself then." Bard replied and resumed his work on the 'food'.

Ciel went up to the counter and wondered what to do first._ I remember watching someone make it when I was at that place, so I guess I'll do the same thing she did. _Ciel searched around the kitchen, trying to remember exactly what was used in the soup.

He got some milk and poured it in the pot. Then, he cut up vegetables and tossed them up in as well, followed by different spices and sauce. Bard continuously asked Ciel if he needed any help but the boy replied that he was doing alright.

However, Ciel knew that he was doing something wrong as he added each ingrediant. Ciel placed the pot over a fire and started stirring it with a wooden spoon. A peculiarly spicy aroma flowed out of the pot and drifted out of the room, catching the attention of a particular prince.

Sebastian walked into the kitchen and found Ciel stiring something. The curious prince came up to the boy and looked over his shoulder to see what he was making.

"Oh, you're making some soup? How generous of you to do that for me." Sebastian smiled, getting the wrong idea that the soup was for him. Ciel turned to him swiftly, about to retort but was cut off.

"Bring it to me whenever it's ready." Sebastian exclaimed, leaving the room almost as soon as he entered.

Ciel nearly dropped the spoon in the pot as a result, followed by a slap to his own forehead.

x~x~x~x~x

Ciel entered the dinning hall, extremely skeptical about the soup as he carried it over to the prince. Sebastian sat alone on a long, golden clothed table with a glass of wine by his side. Ciel placed the bowl in front of the prince, nervous about what the other would think about the soup, but kept steady and quiet.

"I appreciate you helping Bard out; his food isn't always that great and sometimes we have to get someone to substitute him for a bit. Anyways, what is in this soup?" Sebastian inquired.

"Uh. . ." Ciel hesitated, fidgeting with his fingers behind his back. "Milk. . .vegetables. . .spices. . ."

"That's an. . .interesting combination." Sebastian glanced down at the soup oddly. Nevertheless he scooped some soup into a spoon and slipped the substance in his mouth. Ciel watched nervously, not knowing whether he should stay or step away slowly.

"It's very creamy and it has a spicy aftertaste. . ." Sebastian licked his lips in satisfaction before scooping up another spoonful "It's good for your first try, but perhaps Bard should give you some lessons since there's sell a bit of a bitterness to it."

"Okay. . ." Ciel trailed off, collecting the right words to say in his head but coming up with nothing.

"You're excused, Ciel." Sebastian waved him off and the boy rushed out of the dinning hall, heading back to the kitchen.

Ciel drew out a long, tired breath once he returned. He bent over to clutch his knees, grateful that Sebastian was able to swallow the soup without vomiting it.

"So did he like it?" Bard asked.

"It seems like he did." Ciel responded, sighing in relief once more.

"Well it looks like I have a little rookie on my hands," Bard laughed half-heartedly. "I'll teach you everything you know bout the kitchen."

"Sure. . ." Ciel nodded exchanging a small smile. He wasn't that interested in woking in the kitchen, but since he did pretty good with the soup, he should be able to grow accustomed to it.

. . . Or not.

x~x~x~x~x

"Oh, Ciel!" The boy stopped midway from breaking off a piece of marble to see Meyrin running up to him. The maid was panicking like always but she seemed even more flustered.

"Prince Sebastian needs to see you! He's in his bed chamber, just go up the grand staircase, go to the east wing and his chamber is down on the far right, please don't be late!" Meyrin cried before scurrying off, and leaving Ciel to figure out what was wrong on his own.

Ciel got off the stool and headed off to Sebastain's bed chamber, oblivious to what was going on and fearing that he did something bad. He rushed upstairs and headed towards the room as fast as he could.

When Ciel knocked on the door, Sebastian demanded him in straight away. The prince's tone was harsh, indicating that the boy did indeed do something wrong.

Ciel took in a breath before opening the door gradually. He found Sebastian lying in a four post bed supported by a canopy. The room was lit by two candelabras standing at opposite ends of the bed, illuminating Sebastian's face that was paler than usual. His hands were neatly folded and resting on top of his stomach and his bloodshot eyes were glaring daggers at the boy.

"Your soup gave me one of the worst stomach aches I ever had. . . ." Sebastian muttered in a disgusted tone, each word was like a stab wound to the boy. Ciel flinched and composed himself as he spoke.

"I. . .didn't mean to-"

"Were you trying to kill me or something? If you are going to do it right, you might as well do it quickly." Sebastian's glare darkened.

"N-no, I wasn't trying to kill you, I've never made soup in my life and originally that soup was going to be for me-" Ciel tried to exclaim.

"Uh. . ." Sebastian groaned, clutching his aching stomach. "Get me some hot tea, and make it fast."

"R-right." Ciel nodded and hurried off, soon coming back with the tea. Sebastian sat up in his bed and gulped down the tea swiftly, handing the cup back to Ciel.

"Anything else?" Ciel asked, hoping that the prince didn't ask for his head next.

"Yes, stay right where you are." Sebastian ordered sternly. He gestured towards a small chair for the thief to sit on and he obliged. Ciel settled himself down and scooted the chair to the prince's bedside.

"I really meant to cook for myself." Ciel exclaimed shamefully while dipping his head downward, squeezing his hands together upon his lap.

"It did taste pretty good," Sebastian admitted. "However...the vegetables that you put in probably weren't properly prepared, where did you get them?"

"They were on the counter. . .not too sure how long they were there."

"That's probably it."

Ciel was sure that the legs of the chair were going to collapse from the weight of guilt that was shoved onto him. Ciel avoided from looking at the prince - especially in his eyes - and faced the opposite wall draped in shadows.

"So I guess another extra week is added for me?" Ciel guessed.

"Naturally."

Ciel inaudibly sighed and rested himself back against the chair. He sat in silence for a minute before talking, still keeping his gaze away from Sebastian. "Can I ask a question? Or am I not allowed?"

"No, you can ask me one question." Sebastian weakly chuckled.

"The sultan can't know that you let a thief into the palace. . .so what are you going to do when he comes back?" Ciel inquired, turning back to Sebastian to find him smirking slightly, which baffled the thief.

"I have it planned out, so don't worry about it." Sebastian assured.

"What is it?"

"I said you can only ask one question." The prince's smile grew, letting out another small chuckle.

"But can't I ask another?"

"Well, you can do me a favor now, and if you do it correctly it, then I'll let you ask another." Sebastian instructed, bringing a frown to cross Ciel's lips in agitation.

"What's the favor?"

Sebastian surveyed the chamber from the full-scale mirror to the crafted dresser. He spotted a instrument made of a reed settled on top of a small stand and a new idea sparked.

"You see that instrument over there?" Sebastian asked, pointing towards the insturment. "It's called a ney.* I'm sure you've never played one before, but I'd like you to play a song for me, right now."

"Eh?" Ciel's mouth hung open in disbelief. "But I've never played anything in my life."

"Now's your chance." Sebastian remarked, smiling widely to Ciel who only felt his urge to punch the prince grow to a whole new level. Nonetheless the thief reluctanly nodded and picked up the woodwind.

Ciel examined the ney with vague familiarity, he'd seen someone play one on the streets but that was it. He couldn't tell if the person was playing it correctly or not, but the thief could remember the way he sat and the position his head was tilted.

His fingers swiftly blocked and released the holes sporadically while his lips were pressed onto the mouthpiece. The sound was soothing, like a low whistle that dragged on and dispersed in the hot breeze beneath the glaring sun.

Ciel held the mouthpiece to his lips, holding the ney sideways as he rested his fingers onto the holes. He took a quick glance at Sebastian to see him watching patiently. _The prince better answer my question or I might pull all my hair out. _

The thief took in a breath before accidentally letting out a high pitch blow, nearly piercing through his and the prince's ear drums. Ciel released the mouthpiece and drew the ney away from him, coughing unusually at his clumsiness.

"It's my first time playing, give me a break. . ." Ciel muttered to himself, not needing the prince's comments about how he was messing up, but Sebastian was quiet.

Ciel blew into the ney again, but this time with ease as he slid his fingers upon individual holes. He played a few simple notes, gradually getting used to the sound and choosing which holes to tap his fingers onto. The notes changed to a soft breeze passing by to low hums whispering.

While Ciel was testing out the instrument, four curious individuals were pressing their ears against the mahogany door on the other side of the room. The four servants were eavesdropping on the thief's and prince's conversation, interested to know what they were discussing.

Meyrin was worried that Sebastian was going to punish Ciel severely so she dragged the other servants along to aid Ciel incase something came up. However it seemed everything was fine, but the four wanted to stay and listen.

The ney was pretty easy to play once Ciel got the hang of it, he mainly just held down a note, letting the sound flow smoothly through out the candlelit chamber. The servants were astonished by the beautiful piece despite the simplicity of it.

The piece was so rich and velvety that Finny couldn't help but open the door slightly. He poked his head into the room, followed by the other servants who watched Ciel's enchanting performance.

When Ciel finished, he turned to Sebastian but was taken aback. Instead of getting any sort of reaction from the prince, Sebastian had apparently drifted off to sleep.

Ciel narrowed his eyes and used the end of the ney to poke Sebastian's face, attempting to wake him but failing. Ciel mindlessly dropped the instrument and stood up from the chair.

"Are you kidding me?" Ciel practically yelled, clutching his hands into fists. "He fell asleep! Did I bore him to death or something?" Ciel asked, agitated as he turned on his heels and headed for the door.

The servants swiftly retreated, squeezing into a corner as Ciel stormed into the hallway. The thief grumbled something incoherently as he stomped off while the servants silently stayed where they were.

* * *

Ney- A wood-blown flute that's frequently used in the Middle East. It's been played continuously for almost 5000 years, making it one of the oldest musical instruments still in use.

**A/N: **So I'd like to get up to 50 reviews before the next update, I know that's asking a lot but I'll really appreciate it :D


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** I was hoping to get up to 50 reviews by this chap, oh well, I wanted to get this chap updated before the week ends so here you go.

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The glare of the sunlight slipped from the window, lighting the room in a soft ivory glow. Sebastian woke up groggily, still weak from the "soup poisoning" but was able to get up, but not before stepping on something.

He retracted his foot and found the ney lying on the floor. He picked up the instrument and instantly remembered that he fell asleep in the middle of Ciel's little performance. The prince chuckled and rested the ney on the chair where the thief sat.

A knock at the door drew the prince's attention and he waltzed up to open it. To his surprise, Ciel was standing in the hallway carrying a cup of steamy hot tea in his hands.

"I. . .uh. . .just wanted to know how you were doing." Ciel exclaimed shyly, glancing down at the cup. "Also I did your favor last night . . . now answer my question."

"Not so fast, I fell asleep halfway through so I didn't hear all of it." Sebastian explained with a sly smirk.

"But I still played it for you." Ciel retorted.

"I didn't hear the entire performance."

"Then do you want me to play it to you now?" There was a hint of animosity in the reply that Ciel didn't try hard to conceal.

"Later. I'd like to eat something first." Sebastian suggested, feeling his stomach craving for something that wasn't soup. For once he was actually looking forward to Bard's cooking.

"I made you tea though. . ." Ciel muttered under his breath as he handed over the tea to the suspicious prince.

"You didn't do anything to it, right?" Sebastian raised his eyebrow, retrieving the cup in an reluctant manner.

"No, it's just boiled water, herbs and some honey." Ciel huffed. "And besides, if I really was going to kill you, I would've done it when you were asleep, but I didn't and I'm not going to." The thief - tired of that conversation - disappeared down the hall at a hastened pace.

Sebastian watched the thief storm away as he took a sip of his tea. _Well, he can make pretty good tea at least._

x~x~x~x~x

Ciel walked into Sabirah's room to give her a bowl filled with large chunks of meat for her breakfast. The thief slipped into the room slowly, hoping that the giant, fat tiger didn't pounce on him again. When Ciel entered the room, he settled the dish down and swiftly turned to leave.

However, he stopped to find Sabirah laying on the floor panting heavily. She was sprawled on her side with her huge belly sticking out. Ciel steadied himself towards the tiger but Sabirah let out a low growl, threatening the boy not to get close.

Ciel stepped back, wondering what was wrong and decided to ask someone. He hurried out of the room and soon spotted the servants chattering about the statue that the thief was still making.

"Guys, come over here, something's wrong with the tiger."

"Did prince Sebastian spoil her with chocolates again?" Bard asked.

"Uh. . . I don't think so. . . "Ciel blinked, but considered finding where the said chocolates were when the escapade was over.

"Then what's wrong?" Finny asked.

"I don't know, now c'mon!" Ciel grabbed Finny's hand and they all hurried back to Sabirah's room.

Sabirah was still on the floor; her breathing quickening and she let out a growl as the incomers came into the room. Tanaka walked up to the tiger and gave her a gentle rub on the stomach. He paused when he felt movement inside and his eyes widened slightly, but the expression was replaced with a soft smile. "Just as I thought," Tanaka turned to the servants and explained calmly. "She's about to give birth."

"WHAT!" The servants screamed, their eyes practically bulging out of their eye sockets and mouths hung open in great surprise.

"What do we do?" Finny cried.

"How did she get pregnant!" Meyrin asked, pulling her hair.

"No wonder she's so fat. . ." Bard remarked plainly but was still shocked.

"Everyone," Tanaka put a finger to his lips, suggesting that the servants be quiet. "We can't disturb Sabirah so it's not a good idea for all of us to be in here, so I recommend you all leaving while someone stays here and keeps a watchful eye on Sabirah incase something goes wrong."

The servants looked at one another; Bard was the first to speak as he scratched the back of his head and shook it.

"I left something cooking in the kitchen and I better check on it before it explodes." Bard remarked.

"I would like to help!" Finny raised his hand gleefully.

"But aren't you squeamish, Finny?" Bard reminded. "There's going to be a lot of blood and gore, it'll be like a horror story."

Finny's cheerful demeanor swiftly transitioned to that of anguish and his shoulders slouched and his head dropped.

"I love horror stories!" Meyrin gasped excitedly. "I'll be the one to help! It'll be so exciting!" The maid giggled and but clumsily tripped over her shoes, nearly falling on the floor. At the last minute, she managed to balance herself. When she got herself composed, she cleared her throat and smiled gullibly. "Actually . . . maybe Tanaka should-" Meyrin paused to see that Tanaka had turned back to his miniature self. Now the only one that was left was Ciel.

All eyes were now on the boy who was frozen in place. He shook his head furiously in protest as the stares increased intensity.

"I-I can't!" Ciel stuttered. "Besides, I'm-" before the boy could finish, the rest of the servants left the room and closed the door, leaving the thief alone with the pregnant tiger.

"Allergic. . ." Ciel breathed out a hefty sigh followed by a groan. He had no choice but to watch over Sabirah. . .as she gave birth…to even more cats. Ciel felt sick inside and was sure he was going to vomit. Looking over at Sabirah, he slowly trailed his eyes over to her stomach, but when he got a peek at the first cub coming out covered in blood and membrane, Ciel swiftly turned away and held in a hurl.

The thief coughed several times and took a slow and easy breath, trying to calm himself, but it was rather difficult. He steadied himself towards Sabirah and kneeled next to her, keeping his eyes away from the cub which was now crawling its way out.

Ciel patted the tiger's head in comfort, reassuring her that it was going to be over soon while averting his eyes from the birth. But when he heard the cub's first cry, he couldn't help but glance towards the newborn stumbling on its feet while its mother was licking it.

The boy scooted a bit closer to see the cub but then noticed another cub coming into the world. It looked like a big bubble containing the little creature, slipping out and dropping next to its sibling. Sabirah leaned over to lick off the other cub while the first one started to explore.

The cubs were blind so they couldn't see where they were going, but Ciel made sure that this cub didn't walk too far. He grabbed a blanket and brought it over, placing it down flat on the floor for the wondering cub to go on.

The cub toppled onto the blanket and struggled to get back up. It then crawled its way back over to Sabirah, crying for her attention. Sabirah nuzzled her cub gently, moving her to sit next to her sibling.

The other cub mewed and clumsily climbed its way on top of its sibling and rolled off. It landed on its back, but after the mother picked it up, she laid back down and let out a rough growl as yet another cub started to be born.

The two cubs found their way to the blanket, nestling themselves next to each other. Ciel used the end of the blanket to dry the cubs up while Sabirah gave birth to her last cub.

When the last cub came out, Sabirah licked it off and let it wonder about but kept a watchful eye. The last cub didn't get too far and just yawned soundlessly before laying back down.

Ciel dried it up as well and kept control of his sneezes the entire time. When he was down, Sabirah nursed her three cubs, laying back down and stretching herself before falling asleep.

The boy stayed where he was, sitting in front of the family of tigers and watching them quietly. The cubs struggled to get their milk since they were pushing each other but they were able to get fed alright. Nothing bad had happened to Sabirah or the cubs during the bearing so all was good.

The servants entered the room to see the newborn cubs and Ciel keept watch. Meyrin and Finny were about to burst into tears of joy while Bard smiled slightly and Tanaka chuckled. They all sat down next to Ciel who couldn't help but feel amazed by this.

When the cubs stopped drinking, they all plopped back onto the blanket and slept on top of one another. Meyrin squealed quietly while wiping tears from her eyes.

"They are so cute." Meyrin exclaimed, resisting the temptation to go up and hug the cubs, but she knew not to disturb them.

"Yes." Finny nodded, wanting to hold all of the cubs in his arms as well; he wouldn't have minded naming the cubs, but it was up to the prince's decision. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, the door barged open and Sebastian stormed in.

"Why isn't anyone working!" Sebastian barked, but he was received with a low hush from everyone.

"Sabirah and the cubs are sleeping." Finny whispered and gestured his head towards the sleeping family.

"What?" Sebastian came over to Sabirah and was astonished to see the three cubs by her side. The prince's eyes widened slightly but then he cupped his chin by his hand as he pondered. "Oh right. . .we had a party a while ago and one of our guests brought his pet tiger to play with Sabirah. Now I know that they weren't simply just playing. . ."

"Well someone wasn't looking after his pet." Ciel smirked while Sebastian glared at him.

"And what were you doing?" Sebastian inquired.

"I was making sure noting bad happened to the tigers while the other servants didn't." Ciel huffed, crossing his arms.

"You were, weren't you?" Sebastian came up to Ciel, practically hovering over him. " Well good for you, do you want a treat?"

"I'd like one of my extra weeks off." Ciel's glare darkened.

"I'll let you off a day, now stop trying to attempt to kill me with that glare, it won't work and you just look childish." Sebastian scoffed. "Now I do appreciate you helping out Sabirah, and perhaps I will take off a week under one condition."

"And what is that?"

"Take care of the cubs. I have enough pets on my hands."

"And whose fault is that?" Ciel raised an eyebrow. "Besides, I have allergies."

"Well you'll have to tolerate it. You're going to be here for a long time." Sebastian patted Ciel on the shoulder before leaving the room.

Ciel had the urge to kick something but stayed calm as Meyrin spoke.

"Don't worry, Ciel. I'll help you take care of the cubs."

"Okay. . ." _Just try not to drop them like you do with everything else. _Although he really didn't want to handle a bunch of cats, the promise of another week off his sentence was worth anything.

* * *

**A/N:** So this is something you don't read every day~ So I have no clue what to name the cubs so I'm letting you, the readers decide on the names. Whatever names that I find the cutest will be the names for the cubs and three of you will get honorable mentions next chap. I'll just choose one out of three names you've choosen so that there are three winners~ You don't have to list three, you can just do one or two, or perhaps you want to make a small list but I'll only choose one name. The names can be anything as long as they're cute :D Also I didn't give the cubs genders yet so it doesn't matter whether you give them a girl or boy name.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** There's been a slight change of plans concerning the names you guys gave me for the cubs. I adored all of the names so I decided to choose four instead of three, so that means another cub is gonna pop up this chap. So now there are four winners and they are *drum roll* **JezebelStrike, DragoncatKHfan, Narutopokefan **and** rileybear 14. **Thus, the cubs names are: *drum roll* **Luna, Kalila, Anya** and **Ali.** Btw, I heard that Ali can be mistaken for a girl's name, but here it's for a boy and is pronounced Ah-lee. Thank you for playing Name that Cub, everyone gets cookies! Now onto chap 7~

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An hour later, another cub arrived. He was much smaller and weaker than the rest of his siblings, thus he was the runt. Sabirah barely noticed him and only focused on her three daughters who were napping near by. When the cub got cleaned and got his fill, he stumbled over to his sleeping sisters and flopped next to them.

From oldest to youngest, the cubs names were Luna, Kalila, Anya and Ali. The four slept together on the blanket while Ali became restless and started moving about. He wandered off of the blanket and stumbled to wherever his trembling legs took him. Luckily, Ciel caught the cub before he got to far.

Little Ali was so small and fragile in the boy's hands so he was careful handling him. Ciel felt the cub's new heart beating as he held the small body. It was a wondrous experience to feel and listen to a newborn's heartbeat. It was soft sounding and beat like a tiny drum. Ciel sat back down and let the cub rest on his lap while he looked over at the other tigers quietly.

The servants had left to go do their respective jobs while Ciel was left to take care of the tigers. Besides the allergy issue, care taking wasn't that bad; the tigers weren't pouncing on him or anything of that sort. Sabirah soon woke up from her nap and yawned rather loudly, alerting her cubs as they shot up and shook their heads around. Sabirah stretched out her body before heading over to her water bowl but found it empty.

The tiger growled lightly and trotted over to Ciel, nudging his back to force him to get up. Ciel settled Ali down on the blanket and got up to fetch Sabirah some water. While he was doing that, Ali had woken up and crawled his way over to his sisters. He mindlessly stumbled on top of Luna and rested his head on Anya. Luna rolled over and Ali bumped back into Kalila, who yelped slightly.

Kalila flopped to her side and pushed her hind leg into Ali's face. Ali moved his head away and stretched a paw over Anya's stomach, but Luna kept rolling away, keeping her distance from her fussy sibilings.

When Sabirah finished drinking she plopped herself down in her sprawled position and lazily watched her cubs as she drifted off. Luna was the farthest away from the group; she reached the edge of the blanket before curling into a small ball, declaring it as her spot.

Kalila and Anya spread out as well to get some space, but Ali stayed where he was and fell back to sleep. When Ciel found that they were all alright he decided to get back to work on the sculpture.

The boy closed the door, making sure none of the tigers would sneak out . But what Ciel didn't know was that there was a small entry way next to the door for only Sabirah to enter and exit through. Ali raised his head up and sniffed the air at the realization that Ciel wasn't in the room anymore. He hoisted himself up and wobbled his way towards the entryway, following Ciel's scent.

Ali wandered endlessly down the long corridor, using only his sense of smell to find the boy. Ciel, on the other hand, was completely oblivious as he continued his work on the sculpture. He was now working on the head of the elephant, forming the shape of one of the ears. Ciel concentrated deeply as he worked, not taking note of the newborn cub sitting next to the stool.

Ali crawled under the stool, curling himself around one of the legs. He mewed a few times but Ciel didn't hear. But what he did hear were the hurried footsteps of a certain gardener. Finny came rushing in wide-eyed and flailing his arms crazily.

"You need to hide!" Finny shrieked, yanking Ciel off of the stool and pulling him to the side.

"What's going on?" Ciel demanded as he was dragged over to a corner, his mouth was soon covered.

"The sultan's back from the war." Finny announced abruptly. "But he can't find out you're here, we need to find prince Sebastian quickly."

Ciel gently removed the gardener's hand from his shoulder. "Aren't you being a bit too hectic about this?"

A loud trumpet overlapped Finny's voice as he tried to speak and the gardener's shoulder flinched. He looked around swiftly until he spotted a long shadow looming in the hallway. With a shiver, Finny backed up, pushing Ciel against the wall when a guard came marching in. He spotted Finny and frowned instantly at the boy's suspicious posture.

"Straighten yourself, gardener, the sultan has arrived and you better get back to work."

"Y-yes, sir." Finny gulped.

The guard frowned deeply again but didn't question anything as he continued in the direction he was headed.

Finny sighed heavily and moved out of the way to let Ciel breathe.

"I'm sorry about that, it's best if you go back to your room for now and stay out of sight." Finny suggested before heading off to the garden, leaving an annoyed Ciel. The thief didn't want to go back to his room, so instead, he wandered around to see what the whole fuss was about. There was a lot of voices coming down the hall and Ciel soon found himself standing in front of the throne room. The door was ajar so Ciel peeked his head through to see many people from all across the kingdom were standing around the throne where the sultan was seated. The sultan was a tall, wise looking man with a grayish-black beard tied up with colorful beads. He had stern and tired garnet eyes that were staring down at everyone with an air of authority.

"Everyone," The sultan began with his voice booming across the chamber, silencing the entire room. "Today, we have become victorious and once again as we've conquered a new land. To celebrate, there will be a splendid feast this evening to commemorate this notorious victory. Now. . .my children-" The sultan gestured for the princes to come up. Sebastian and Claude stood side by side before their father and then dropped to their knees with their heads bowed.

"Prince Sebastian has watched over this kingdom during my absence, and I see he has done a fine job protecting it over the past several months. He will make a fine sultan one day. As for prince Claude, he has also shown his loyalty in protecting this kingdom and I am proud to have such gifted sons. I have special awards for them during the feast tonight to share my gratitude."

Sebastian and Claude turned to one another silently, both wondering what the awards were, but then Claude smirked knowingly while Sebastian raised an eyebrow in confusion.

From behind the door, Ciel felt something walking on his foot and he looked down to find Ali circling around him. Ali squeaked out a high pitch mew which broke the silence in the throne room. Before anyone noticed, Ciel snatched up the cub and hurried off.

x~x~x~x~x

"Ciel, I'd like you to do something for me." Sebastian said as he entered Ciel's room, finding the boy holding a sleeping Ali in his arms. The cub grew tired of following Ciel around so he plopped in the boy's arms, swiftly falling asleep. The boy glanced at Sebastian and then noticed the straw basket he held in his hands.

"Remember last night when I told you that I had something planned for you concerning your stay here?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

Sebastian dropped the basket, making a small thump sound. The lid of the basket fell off and an article of clothing spilled out. Ciel glanced down at the attire curiously and glanced back at Sebastian.

"Put those on." Sebastian ordered.

Ciel picked up one of the silky fabrics, examining it peculiarly until he realized what it was. His face transitioned to a deep red and his eyes gradually start to widen.

"What the hell are you making me do?"

Sebastian smirked widely, practically turning Ciel's face into a tomato, especially when the cunning prince went up to answer in Ciel's ear. "Just go with it."

"Are you serious?" Ciel stamppered. "This is beyond humiliation!"

"Do you want to be thrown in jail instead and executed?" Sebastian reminded.

". . . No."

"Good, now do as I say. Now remember, this is only pretend so just bear with it for a while." Sebastian stated.

"Fine." Ciel sighed, but he was still utterly reluctant about the idea. He collected the clothing in his arms, feeling an overwhelm sensation of sickness in his stomach at the very thought of this idea. There was punishment and then there was this...which was, in Ciel's mind, way worse.

x~x~x~x~x

"Father, may I talk to you about something?" Sebastian asked, spotting the sultan walking along a corridor, checking to see if everything was in order. He looked over at his son and smiled slightly, his scarlet eyes were just the same as Sebastian's but had more of a darker depth to them.

"Anything, my son." The sultan remarked.

"There's a matter that I forgot to tell you about," Sebastian proclaimed, folding his hands behind his back as he walked alongside his father. "During one of the months that you were away, I left the kingdom in the hands of Claude so that I could go traveling to one of the neighboring countries-"

Ciel was hiding behind a column as he listened, and was currently pulling on his hair, muttering about how ridiculous this was and how his life was only going to get worse.

"I stayed in a city, visiting the noble families who awarded me with gifts and asked me to take some of their daughters to be my brides. However, there was only one girl who caught my attention."

"Oh?" The sultan was fully intrigued in that fact; Sebastian was rather picky when choosing women - everybody was always lacking _something_ according to him - and now he finally found someone?

Ciel was pinching his arm rather hard, hoping that this was just a dream and that he would find himself in his old house under the ramshackle roof once he woke up.

"She was the youngest of one of the noble families." Sebastian continued, stopping just a few feet from the column that Ciel was behind. "She barely talked much, but she was just so _ravishing_. And, she wasn't like the rest of the women I met who were fawning over me and squealing, but this girl...she was just so sweet and extremely beautiful...I couldn't help being reminded of a stray kitten when I looked at her, and you know how much I _love_ kittens; I simply couldn't resist."

_Stray kitten?_ Ciel's eye twitched, he didn't know whether he felt more uncomfortable about Sebastian's story or the outfit that he was forced to put on.

"So, I payed the family in gold and took their daughter here, but of course, I can't marry her without your permission, father, and if you don't accept I'll just take her back. Now let me introduce you to her." Sebastian finally concluded, then gestured his head towards the column, waving a hand for Ciel to come over, but the theif stayed where he was. The prince chuckled nervously. "She's a bit timid about this."

"I see. . ." The sultan stroked his beard, interested, with slim fingers adorned with rings.

When Ciel still hadn't come out, Sebastian's patience drew extremely thin and he went around the column only to find a very flustered, very red Ciel. The boy was squished between the wall and the column, refusing to get out and shaking his head wildly in protest.

"Ciel, if you don't come out now, I will double your time here by a year." Sebastian warned through gritted teeth, lowering his voice so the sultan didn't hear. "And this is much better than being thrown in jail. . .do you want me to tell you what they do to prisoners?

"Father once brought Claude and I over to the prison to watch what the guards do to the prisoners before executing them. They starved them, tortured them for a long period of time before finally bringing their almost lifeless bodies out into the sunlight. They're brought onto a platform where the entire city is there to watch them be killed in various ways, depending on the crime. For thieves, the punishment is hanging."

Ciel gulped weakly, staring up at Sebastian who's face was mixed between seriousness and genuine concern. He dropped his gaze and saw Sebastian's hand reaching out towards him. The boy sighed, really having no choice as he lightly took the offer. Sebastian smiled and brought Ciel out in the opening for the sultan to see.

The boy was wearing a long, flowing blue dress with a shawl wrapped around his shoulders. He also wore a veil that only showed his sparkling eyes, and had on his blue ring along with many silver bracelets around his wrists and ankles.

"H-hello. . ." Ciel mumbled, pitching his voice so it sounded more feminine. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sire."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well," The sultan smiled warmly, taking Ciel's hand and kissing it delicately as he showed his relief that his son had chosen such a beautiful girl. "It's about time that Sebastian has chosen someone to be his bride. He has had many suitors but he didn't like any of them, which is such a shame."

"They weren't my type." Sebastian shrugged but then pulled Ciel to his side, draping an arm around his scrawny shoulders. "But now I don't have to search anymore."

Ciel had a very sick feeling in his stomach that this was going to get very real, very fast.

* * *

**A/N: **Now the sultan has arrived! Just imagine Sebastian with a beard and you'll get the picture! XD So now Ciel has to pretend to be a girl, coz let face it, he's adorable in a dress and makes all of us jealous. Seriously, no boy should look like a girl so perfectly, but it's anime, anything can happen~


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Gah! I'm sorry, this chap was supposed to be updated days ago but I was busy the entire week and it was crazy~ Here's a long chap to make up the delay.

* * *

_This is going to be extremely embarrassing, especially during the banquet._ Ciel's thoughts were focused on the dinner before him as he feared for what was going to happen. It was going to be really, really bad, but it was going to get worse.

"So what's this young lady's name?" The sultan asked curiously.

"C-" Ciel paused, wondering if he should use his name but then Sebastian piped in to answer for him.

"It's Ciel."

"That's a beautiful name," The sultan commented with a bright smile. "Beautiful name for a beautiful girl."

Ciel felt his dignity as a boy slipping away, then he realized that the name Ciel was actually a girl's name as well. _So, Sebastian had this planned all along didn't he? That bastard_. . . Ciel tried his hardest not to go out on in rage and instead, pulled up a fake smile.

"Th-thanks. . ." Ciel mumbled.

"So how long have you been at the palace? Are you liking it so far?" The sultan now asked.

"Only for a few days, but yes I'm liking it."_ No, I'm absolutely hating it and I want to leave now._ Ciel thought bitterly as he held up that fake smile, trying to make it as genuine as he could.

"Good, because this will be your new home now." The sultan replied.

"Oh? So you accept me then?" Ciel inquired.

"Of course, I can't let you go back through that dessert, it's horrible. Besides, I'm sure that you'll make a fine wife for Sebastian, and I'll be expecting a lot of grandkids."

Ciel froze, his face turning green, becoming extremely disgusted as he slowly turned to Sebastian who was actually chuckling. Ciel wanted to punch that sick smile off of his face so badly.

"Um. . ." Ciel cleared his throat. "What if I'm not able to give birth to any children?"

"Nonsense!" the sultan laughed. "All women are able to bear children, I don't see what the problem would be."

"Uh. . ." Ciel trailed off, trying to find the correct words for this odd situation. Sebastian was holding in a laugh as he covered his mouth but his eyes were watering. He composed himself and rested a hand on Ciel's shoulder.

"She's a bit nervous about that, father." Sebastian remarked. "We'll wait a little while before we do it. . ."

_What the hell do you mean by doing it! _Ciel screamed in his mind, but he kept smiling reluctantly. "Yes, um. . . can we move on to a different subject?"

"Of course, my dear. We should be talking about the wedding instead." The sultan suggested while Sebastian was clutching his stomach, preventing himself from laughing.

Ciel's jaw dropped, entirely speechless while Sebastian was completely ethusitastic about this.

"Why, yes, we should talk about that." The prince nodded.

"I need to go to the bathroom!" Ciel blurted out, drawing attention from Sebastian and the sultan who looked at him quite oddly. Before they could say anything he rushed out of the hall and made it to the bathroom just in time.

Ciel shut the door, locking it and looking at himself in the mirror. He threw off the veil from his face and ran his fingers through his hair, completely, and utterly disturbed by the conversation he had just had.

There was then a knock at the door; Ciel presumed that it was Sebastian so he didn't answer. But then, Ciel realized it was Meyrin by the sound of her high heels clicking on the floor and her abrupt breaths.

"Please, I gotta go!" Meyrin screeched.

Ciel opened the door and Meyrin rushed in but halted when she saw Ciel. . . in a dress. . . in the ladies room (that part was obviously a mistake, but apparently his girl alter-ego took over and he walked into the wrong room.)

"You're. . ." Meyrin gasped, covering her mouth in disbelief.

"Sebastian forced me to wear this. . ." Ciel muttered, completely embarrassed.

"You're so adorable!" Meyrin squealed, throwing Ciel off. "You make a prettier girl than I do! I'm so jealous! So prince Sebastian made you wear this? He has such amazing taste! Oh my gosh, I would love to wear something like that but it'll probably look weird but that outfit is perfect on you!"

"Uh. . . thanks?" Ciel blinked, not knowing what exactly to say but the comment didn't really help much. He really didn't want to be in this outfit nor pretend to be Sebastian's. . . fiancee. Even the word made him shudder.

"Is something wrong, Ciel?" Meyrin asked, notifying Ciel's somber state.

"I'm not comfortable in this. . ." Ciel admitted. "Not only am I suppose to dress like this for who knows how long, but I have to be Sebastian's. . .bride or something."

"Really?" Meyrin squealed, leaning in dangerously close. "That. Is. Awesome."

"How the hell is that awesome?" Ciel asked, backing away from the crazy maid.

"Well it's a pretty clever idea for Sebastian to come up with, I told you he'll think of something good."

"But it's weird and gross, the sultan was talking about grandkids."

"Well you can always adopt." Meyrin encouraged, she was in an eerily creepy mood which freaked Ciel out.

"No." The thief exclaimed sternly. Having enough of that creepy conversation, he left the bathroom to go to his room while Meyrin was stuck in dream land.

Ciel was too occupied with his thoughts that he didn't notice Claude propped against the wall. He retracted himself and eyed Ciel curiously as he walked past him.

"That's a rather nice outfit on you." Claude commented smugly.

Ciel swirled around to see the man now in front of him. Claude was smirking sardonically at Ciel, brining even more humiliation to the boy, but Claude always had a creepy smile on his face. At least Sebastian had a reason to smile, Claude was just being a creep.

Ciel backed away slowly, taking gradual steps up towards the stairs while Claude just stood where he was.

"Might I ask why you're dressed up in that?" Claude asked.

Ciel paused, contemplating how to explain without exactly saying that he was pretending to be Sebastian's. . .bride. Luckily, a lightbulb sparked up and he replied:

"Prince Sebastian ordered me to wear this because I accidentally broke something and he's punishing me by forcing me to dress as a girl for the next couple of weeks."

"Well that's rather funny." Claude chuckled lightly, clearly amused by this. "Perhaps my brother is being a bit too nice to you."

"What do you mean?" Ciel inquired.

"I don't think he's punishing you well enough, that's all." Claude remarked rather sternly. The prince disappeared down the corridor before Ciel could reply, but he was only left dumbfounded at the foot of the stairs.

x~x~x~x~x

The banquet was in the opulent ballroom, practically the largest room in the palace. Hundreds of people were situated at long, tables coated with pearly silver wear and plates and lavish glass vases toped with exotic flowers.

The tables lined the ivory paneled wall, surrounding the glossy dance floor where there was a something cloaked in a thick, white sheet. The long fabric spilled onto the floor in a bunch of heavy layers, making it impossible to know what was underneath.

The royal family was the last to arrive; they sat at the northern end of the ballroom, gaining the best view of whatever was in the center. They were all in fancy evening garb with matching colors and jewels strewn all around their robes.

Ciel - who didn't want to be humiliated by such a large crowd - tried to avoid taking part of this event. However, the servants were all told about this-immediately intrigued-and forced Ciel to wear another dress that was on par with royalty.

Once Ciel was changed - with makeup included thanks to Meyrin - he was pushed into the ballroom where all the guests just happened to turn around to see. There was a long, awkward silence as Ciel froze in his place with all eyes staring at him. When a familiar, velvety voice spoke in his ear, the silence seemed twice as loud.

"Shall we dance, my lady." Sebastian reached out a hand, awaiting the thief's offer. Ciel hesitated; he wanted to decline since there were so many people staring at him, but then there was the sultan who believed that he was Sebastian's. There was also the fact that this was pretend, so he just had to play along for a while.

Ciel gulped down heavily and timidly took Sebastian's hand. The prince led Ciel to the dance floor while the sultan ushered someone to play some music. Sebastian wrapped an arm around Ciel's waist while with the other held the latter's hand. Given that the prince was rather tall, Ciel literary had to stand on his tippey-toes to dance.

There was also times where Ciel stepped on Sebastian's feet and nearly tripped. Nevertheless, the guests were entertained while Claude felt rather displeased at his brother's actions.

When the dance was over, Sebastian took Ciel to the table and sat down next to him. Ciel was sitting in between Sebastian and the sultan while Claude sat on the other side of his father, eyeing the duo from the corner of his eye.

The thief shuddered uncomfortably and glared at Sebastian. "What the hell was that about?" He whispered harshly.

"What was what about?" Sebastian smiled smugly.

"The dance! You came out of nowhere and forced me to dance!" Ciel fumed, but tried to keep his voice low so that no one else could hear.

"Guests like to be entertained, my lady."

"_You_ like to be entertained! And who are you calling a lady?"

"You're wearing a dress." Sebastian pointed out. "And you're also supposed to pretend to be my bride, now please act natural in front of everyone." The prince smiled contently while Ciel had the urge to run out of the ballroom as fast as he could, dragging Sebastian's body behind him. All of those thoughts ended when the sultan stood up from his chair, raising a goblet into the air.

"Welcome again, everyone! Its great to come back with not only a splendid victory, but also a great surprise from my son, prince Sebastian. When he was away, he finally found someone to be his bride."

Ciel shrunk down into the seat, attempting to hide under the table and not be seen but Sebastian pulled him back up, keeping a tight hold on his arm so he wouldn't run off.

"Please give a warm welcome to princess Ciel." the sultan gestured a hand over to Ciel as a roar of applause erupted in the room. That was it, Ciel's dignity as a man had completely slipped away.

Claude turned to Sebastian and asked with a hand covering the side of his mouth so his father didn't listen. "What's this nonsense?"

"Oh? Didn't i tell you? Ciel's actually a girl." Sebastian joked.

"Hmph, funny, because he told me that it's a punishment you gave him." Claude stated. "But now you're making him a princess? You know father is going to be extraordinary displeased when he finds out."

"This is just going to be for a little while, just deal with it for now and don't say anything." Sebastian exclaimed critically.

"I won't, besides I'd like to see how this little plan of yours works." Claude concluded, ending the conversation as a mountain of food arrived at their table. Cooks from all over the kingdom had come to cook food for everyone instead of having Bard burning everything down.

Sebastian glanced over at Ciel, who was more engrossed in the figurine hidden in the cloth than the mounts of food in front of him. Ciel nudged Sebastian, about to ask him about it but even the prince didn't know. Then the sultan stood up again, clinking his glass to draw in everyone's attention.

"Everyone! As you are all enjoying your meal, I want to present a special kind of entertainment for you all. As you know, our country has always been plunged into war so I have brought back something that will be warning if any of our enemies came to destroy our land, as well as a gift for my sons so they don't have to relive the hell that I've lived through. Thus, I present to them a great defense mechanism that will be used on those who dare break my laws or try to destroy my kingdom's walls."

The sultan snapped his fingers and two guards came up to the hidden figurine and threw off the cloth. The defense mechanism was a bull made of bronze hovering over a group of logs clustered together. All the guests glanced at each other, questioning what it was.

Suddenly the doors barged open and there was a guard dragging over a man in chains. His clothes were ripped and smothered in blood while his face was so beaten and bruised that he could barely open his eyes. He struggled to stand on his feet so the guard kept on yanking at the heavy chains, constantly pulling the man forward till they stopped in front of the bull.

"This is a brazen bull.*" The sultan stated, gesturing a hand to the mechanism. "It's an instrument used to destroy those who dare try to oppose me and my kingdom. A wondrous gift for my sons and a great tool to scare away those who want to start a war again with us. This right here-" The sultan pointed mockingly to the frightened man. "Is one who believed he could stop us, but now he will realize that was a big mistake. Toss him in."

The guard oblige accordingly and grabbed the scrawny man's arm. Another guard opened a hinged trap doors on the back of the bull and the man was thrown in. The guests presumed that he was just going to be trapped in there, but then a guard lit a flame underneath the bull.

The guests leaned closer to see what was happening as the flames caressed the belly of the bull, licking the metal hungrily as the bull swiftly heated up. The instrument was acting like an oven, cooking the man inside. Not only that, there was a system of brass tubing inside that converts the high frequency screams of the man into the low intensity noise of a real bull.

The guests were completely astonished and intrigued by this instrument but Ciel was shocked. He first turned to Sebastian who was still and composed, but there was a hint in his eyes that he was ill at ease.

Claude on the other hand was smiling, enjoying the show with a disgusting pleasure. But in between the brothers was the sultan. Ciel's eyes widened to find the once wise-looking sultan now booming with laughter. The sultan was clutching his stomach as if his guts were going to burst and his ribs were going to break. Delightful tears ran down his reddened face, and he unknowingly spit out his food as he hollered.

The sultan wasn't the only one enjoying this, everyone else seemed to be rather amused by the low screams, and all were laughing along with their leader. Ciel stiffened and he couldn't move a muscle.

His hands were shaking upon the armrest but then felt something warm embracing his hand. Ciel gazed down to see Sebastian's hand holding his own. The prince's fingers intertwined with Ciel's, caressing the boy's skin tenderly. Ciel squeezed Sebastian's hand, wanting to get up and do something to help the prisoner but knew he couldn't.

The torture didn't last that long as the bull's mutilated snarls started to fade before dispersing. Ciel felt his heart stopping when the guards pulled out the charred remains. The man's mouth was wide open and his eyes were reduced to charcoal. He was locked in a fetal position with his legs and arms buckled together. Steam rose steadily from the pits of his eyes to what used to be his cheeks, resembling tears.

It was dead quiet until the sultan started to clap casually. He was very much pleased and had the look that he wanted to do this to more and more people. Ciel felt utterly sick in his stomach as he watch the sultan clap, letting out another laugh before speaking.

"Now you know what happens when anyone threatens my country. . .but now that we have this, those other countries will fear us and won't step foot in our territory again." The sultan exclaimed before a roar of applause erupted in the room as everyone cheered.

Ciel couldn't keep his eyes away from the body. The bellowing of the bull which replaced the screams of the man still echoed in his mind and now joyful claps and cheers overlapped it. He swore that the room was spinning and he felt incredibly nausous. Ciel closed his eyes, not realizing that the was falling until someone caught him. Ciel looked up to see Sebastian holding him. The thief would've pushed him away but he was too weary to move.

Sebastian picked Ciel up, letting the boy rest in his arms as he carried him out of the ballroom. Claude was the only person to spot Sebastian leaving the room with Ciel. The younger prince furrowed his eyes, his suspicion of his brother's aditude growing more and more. He would tell the sultan what was really going on, but he wanted to see how it turned out; he began to think that he could have a little fun with the situation, in his own ways.

* * *

Brazen bull: A torture and execution device that was used in Ancient Greece. A person was locked inside of the hollow belly of the bull and a fire was lit underneath it, causing the person inside to roast to death. Okay so I was watching walkthroughs of the game, Amnesia: The Dark Descent-because I would be freaking out the entire time if I ever played that game, I dunno maybe one day I'll have the guts to actually play it-and one part of the game was about how people were brutally tortured by all of these mechanics, and I couldn't help but be like: I should totally do something with one of those torture devices in a fic, don't really know why but I wanted to.

**A/N:** Now the fic has taken a bit of a dark turn and there's gonna be more twists coming up~ Till then I'll try to get the next chap updated soon, sorry again bout the delay.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Awesome, the fics almost up to 100 reviews, lets try and get to it before chap 10! :D

* * *

_It was eerily dark and quiet, Ciel touched the cool sensation of metal and crawled his way around but bumped into something. He crawled back the other way but bumped into something there as well. He was trapped within a hollow chamber, not knowing how he got in and how he would get out. He felt around the walls, hoping to find some kind of door but to no avail. _

_Suddenly it felt warm beneath him. Ciel glanced down and saw the darkness dispersing when a red-hot light spread all over. The metal started to burn his skin and he scooted back against the other side to get away. However, the light coated the entire floor swiftly, sizzling and stinging the thief. Ciel hissed from the pain and pounded at the walls, yelling for someone to help him. It became extremely stuffy and sweat was breaking out of Ciel's burning and peeling skin. _

_He prevented himself from screaming as he was literally being cooked inside of the space. He grabbed hold of what seemed to be a tube, feeling around it and spotting an airway. He pressed his mouth into it, breathing in air but exhaling out a treacherous noise, almost like a bull's. He heard a distant laughter, but it was rather faint and was also followed by chatter. Ciel yelled for someone to help but the laughter only grew more and more and before he knew it, the thief was engulfed in flames. _

"AH!" Ciel screamed, his body thrashing about uncontrollably until soothing hands eased his backlash. He panted heavily, drenched in sweat with his limbs quaking. His heart was beating so fast that it felt like it could combust any second, but when he found that it was only a dream, his heart rate gradually returned to normal.

"Are you alright, Ciel?" Sebastian asked worriedly, bringing a hand up to stroke the frightened boy's cheek softly.

Ciel's panting overlapped with the strained words that struggled to slip out of his mouth. He wearily shook his head and absentminedly rested his body against Sebastian's. The prince wrapped his arms around the boy, rubbing his back gently to keep him calm.

"Don't put me in there. . ." Ciel finally chocked out, clutching Sebastian's long sleeve and leaning in more to the prince's comfort. He was still shaking and was sure he was going to collaspe.

"Put you in where?" Sebastian asked, his voice was just below a whisper, smooth and comforting as he kept the thief close to him.

"That. . .torture device." Ciel breathed out sharply, squeezing into the prince's fabric.

"I won't." Sebastian assured, he lifted Ciel's chin with a slim finger, bringing his face closer to his. "I'll make sure you're never harmed, I promise you that."

The boy stared at Sebastian wordlessly, not exactly sure if he was telling the truth or not. He wanted to believe him but he was stopped by a thought that the prince was only fooling him.

Ciel drew away from the prince's touch as he realized how close the other was; he scooted back on the bed that he was on until he bumped against the wall. Sebastian stayed where he was on the edge of the massive bed, bearing a concerned look.

"Ciel. . ." Sebastian sighed, folding his hands together and lowering his gaze to the black marble flooring. "I don't approve of my father's new tactic to keep the kingdom out of war. It gives us a really bad reputation when it comes to the pacifists, and when I'm sultan, I'll be just as feared as my father, and I don't want that. I don't want there to be another war, but there can be other things to stop one from happening. I don't want anyone else to go into that thing, especially you."

". . .Really?"

"Yes, I'll talk to my father about it, and hopefully I can reason with him." Sebastian proclaimed, smiling slightly to assuage the fear Ciel had, but his nervous demeanor didn't cease.

"What if he doesn't approve?" Ciel asked.

"I'm sure he'll understand. . .I'll deal with it tomorrow, for now, go back to sleep." Sebastian pulled the sheets and blanket over before slipping within.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Ciel scooted away with wide eyes and a heated face from Sebastian, who was now laying next to him.

"This is my bed, aren't I allowed to sleep in it?" Sebastian inquired.

"Yeah, but, why was_ I _sleeping here?" A rush of pink swept past the thief's cheek at the realization.

"Because it's customary for couples to sleep together." Sebastian replied, turning to his side and propping an elbow on the pillow before resting his chin upon his palm. "After all, you are a princess, my lady."

"Even in bed I have to pretend to be a girl!?" Ciel's face was as red as a cherry. "No one is looking so why the hell do I have to sleep with you?"

"It's part of the order. Besides, would you rather sleep on a mat made of straw in a cold, damp room? Or would you like to sleep in a comfy bed and warm sheets made of cotton?" Sebastian asked, gently patting the mattress and encouraging Ciel to oblige.

The thief glared at Sebastian, he did make a point about the difference between his cell-like room and this room, so Ciel had no choice but to sleep here. He groaned and flopped onto his side, scooting towards the very edge of the bed so that Sebastian didn't do anything creepy. However, the prince pulled Ciel back in his arms, embracing him securely before the theif could get away. Ciel squirmed about but was too exhausted to fight back.

"You're enjoying this much more than you should. . ." Ciel muttered, mildly disturbed by all of this and hoping that the prince didn't do anything dirty in his sleep. The thief shuddered and pulled the sheets over him like a cocoon.

"Perhaps." Sebastian chuckled lightly.

Ciel rolled his eyes and went back to sleep, not realizing that he could finally have a good night's rest in the prince's arms.

x~x~x~x~x

The next morning, Ciel pushed off the covers - as well as the prince's arm - and went to Sabirah's chamber to see how the tigers were doing. The three girl cubs were being nursed while Ali was restless in his sleep. The tiny cub yawned soundlessly and turned his head around, wanting to be nursed as well. But when he sensed Ciel entering the room, he stumbled towards the boy.

Not wanting to play, Ciel picked up the wandering cub and set him down in front of his mom. The thief refilled Sabirah's water bowl and gave her breakfast. Afterwards, he left the room as soon as he came but yet again, he didn't check to make sure that all of the tigers stayed where they were.

Ali snuck out just after Ciel had left and followed him close behind. The thief walked down one of the long corridors, heading over to the kitchen to help Bard clean up. But then, Ciel noticed something peculiar. Far down in the corridor was a room that was usually locked for privacy but now it was open.

There were rooms that Sebastian forbid the thief to go into and that room was one of them. Curiosity was taping him on the shoulder, encouraging him to check it out. Ciel looked around, making sure no one was watching as he tip toed inside. The room was huge and was filled with tall cabinets lined up in many rows. On each shelf were square glass cases inhabiting all kinds of spiders. The spiders were all poisonous, coming in a variety of sizes, but held similar nasty forms.

Ciel walked down one of the aisles, checking out the variety of spiders encased in glass. Beside each glass case was a small candle, illuminating what type was inside the cases. The spiders crawled about in their little homes, nibbling on bugs or glaring out through the glass with their many eyes.

The thief stepped back and decided to turn back, he had seen enough and should be heading to the kitchen now. But then, the shattering of glass permeated the air sharply, cutting away the silence. Ciel swirled around to find that Ali had knocked over a glass case and that a couple of spiders were scurrying around.

Ciel grabbed Ali but the cub let out a high pitch yelp. A spider had latched itself on Ali's hind leg and sank its fangs into the skin. Ciel quickly swept the spider off and hurried out of the room, not bothering to clean up the mess. He held the injured cub in his arms as he frantically searched around before nearly bumping into Claude.

"Is something wrong?" Claude asked, examining the frantic boy holding the yelping cub. Ciel was hesitant since he knew that he was going to get in so much trouble for this.

". . .The cub got bitten." Ciel held Ali up, showing Claude the bite mark on his leg. Claude leaned over to get a better look at the injury.

"It looks pretty fatal," Claude confirmed, taking the cub from Ciel. "He needs immediate treatment. Luckily I have an antidote to treat the bite." Ciel sighed in relief but that didn't last long. "However, I'd like you to do a favor for me."

"What do you mean?" Ciel inquired.

"I'll help this cub, but that's only if you do something for me. . . like becoming my servant."

"Wh-what!?" Ciel exclaimed, completely thrown off by the prince's words; he had to be kidding but by that smug grin on his face he obviously wasn't.

"You heard me, you have to become my servant. You can still be Sebastian's servant of course, but you have to follow my orders as well. If you do this, I'll help this cub, and I'll also keep quiet about your little secret to the sultan. However, you must not tell Sebastian that you're serving me. If you do, then he'll find out about what happened to this cub and that you entered a room that you weren't supposed to go in."

"How did you-"

"So what's it going to be?" Claude waited patiently for Ciel's answer as the boy hesitated. Ciel lowered his gaze and clenched his hands into fists. Why did he always have one choice? Ciel was reluctant about this but had to oblige.

"Alright, fine, just help the cub." Ciel remarked, knowing from how Claude was smiling that he had just made a terrible mistake and that he was prey to the spider's web.

x~x~x~x~x

Around the same time, Sebastian approached his father in the courtyard. The sultan was sitting on a bench and the prince occupied the empty spot next to him. The sultan gazed up at the clear, turquoise sky where there were no clouds in sight.

"I've noticed that you and Ciel left the banquet early last night, why is that?" The sultan asked.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Sebastian remarked. "I'm not exactly sure if using the brazen bull will be a good way to keep a war from brewing. . ."

"Why not? It's supposed to strike fear into the other countries-"

"Yes, but can't there be another way to solve this? It gives us a rather barbaric reputation."

"Hmmm. . ." The sultan stroked his beard, slender fingers running through his thick grayish-black hair gradually. He turned to Sebastian and acknowledged him with a smirk. "You're doing this for Ciel, aren't you?"

"Well she doesn't exactly approve of the idea. . . "

"So what do you want to do then?" The sultan inquired, continuing to stroke his beard in thought.

"Perhaps make a peace treaty with the other countries." Sebastian suggested. "It would be better to make peace with them rather than make them fear us, making us the bad guys."

". . .I guess we could do that." The sultan somewhat agreed but was still unsure, although he could tell that his son was uncomfortable about this. Yet still, he knew his son would live to be a brilliant and successful leader, so he trusted the younger man's instincts.

"Glad you understand." Sebastian smiled and got up from the bench.

"Yes, anything for my son." The sultan smiled back, but it dropped, turning into a thin line of thought immediately after Sebastian left.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Yay we reached 100! Thanks guys~ :D

* * *

Claude kept his word and helped cure Ali; now the cub had a bandage wrapped around his leg and wasn't allowed to move for a while. So Ciel kept the cub in Sabirah's room, settling him on a pillow and feeding him with a bottle of milk every so often since Sabirah kept ignoring him.

That wasn't the least of the boy's problems though, the real problem was Claude. He was forced to be his servant which he wasn't looking forward to. He already had to deal with Sebastian's orders and now this creep.

When Ciel was sure that Ali was secured on the pillow and well nourished, he exited the room and - to his dismay - came face to face with Claude. Ciel presumed that the prince was just waiting outside the door from him, which rather disturbed him.

"I have a favor to ask," Claude announced with that annoying smirk. "I'd like you to make me some tea and take it to my room. You already know where Sebastian's room is, mine is right across from his so finding it shouldn't be a problem." Claude dismissed himself, disappearing within one of the corridors.

Ciel groaned, knowing that this was going to be awful. He might as well tell Sebastian about this but then his secret would be revealed. Ciel pinched the bridge of his nose and carried off towards the kitchen, brewing the tea quickly to get it over with.

x~x~x~x~x

The thief reluctantly knocked on Claude's door while with the other, held the prince's tea. Claude welcomed him in and the thief found him seated on a chair in front of a desk. He seemed to be in the middle of writing something but the boy didn't bother asking.

"Here's your tea." Ciel handed Claude the cup before turning on his heels to leave.

"Wait," Claude raised a hand, stopping Ciel from reaching towards the doorknob. "I have another favor to ask of you."

"What is it?" Ciel glanced from the corner of his eye. _And it sure as hell better be quick. _

"My foot has been aching me lately, I'd like you to massage it." Claude stuck his right foot out which was tucked underneath the chair. He kicked off his pointed slipper, revealing his foot. "I hope you washed your hands by the way."

_You've got to be shitting me. . ._ Ciel mentally slapped himself, itching with disturbance as it crawled up his spine. It wasn't like the foot was smelly or had moles grown on it, it was just that the entire idea of massaging the prince's foot was overwhelming.

"This better be the last thing you make me do." Ciel muttered, but seeing as Claude was smiling and didn't say anything, it certainly wasn't. The thief reluctantly got down on his knees and started to massage the prince's foot.

"Actually no, because afterwards I want you to take out all of the weeds in the courtyard. It's usually the gardener's job, but he hasn't been doing very well with it lately so I'm sure you can do better."

Ciel wanted to jab a nail into the prince's toe at the new request. No, he wasn't going to do that afterwards, afterwards he was going to wash his hands with soap for the next several hours after touching Claude's foot.

"And another thing. . ." Claude dared to add, causing a vein to throb intensely on the boy's forehead. "The stables could use some cleaning up, the camels always make a big mess and Meyrin always misses a spot. And you can also prepare lunch and dinner for us. I heard you did rather poorly on some soup for Sebastian, but I'm sure you have learned your lesson and can make something edible."

Ciel groaned inwardly but kept quiet for the rest of the time. Claude didn't give him any more orders. . .at least not yet but for now, Ciel still had a lot to do and he wasn't going to enjoy it.

x~x~x~x~x

The sun seemed to want to pour down all of it's heat upon a sweating Ciel. He was seated in front of a bed of plants, yanking away all of the weeds with his bare hands. Apparently there were no gloves for him to use, which made the task even more irritable.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

Ciel stopped what he was doing and looked over his shoulder to see Sebastian. The prince was rather surprised to see Ciel doing Finny's job. The gardner was told to take a break and was fawning over the tigers.

". . .I wanted to pull out the weeds." Ciel remarked, swiftly making up a lie. "They were becoming a bother since they're blocking the plants."

"Is this a way for me to let you off another week?" Sebastian inquired.

"Perhaps." Ciel shrugged. "Also I'm going to be cleaning the stables and prepare lunch and dinner for everyone."

"You really want to leave that bald, don't you?"

"Yeah."

Sebastian smirked. "If you want to leave that much then, I'll give you some more chores. If you do them all successfully, then I'll cut back a month instead of a week."

"Are you serious?" Ciel's eyes widened in disbelief; there was no way the prince was going to give him that offer so easily.

"Yes." Sebastian nodded.

Ciel frowned, wondering whether or not Sebastian was really telling the truth. The prince was giving him an honest smile, but in reality, Ciel just wanted to smack that smile of his face.

"Fine," Ciel sighed. "What are your orders?"

Sebastian's smile grew, giving an indication that Ciel had made yet another mistake. . . again.

x~x~x~x~x

At the end of the day, Ciel swore his limbs had turned to jelly and he could barely move any of his muscles. Not only did he have to clean - making the stables and every other aspect of the palace spotless - and cook without burning anything, he had to retry so many times since the food kept turning out bad. He had to feed all of the animals and clean their shit, search all over the palace for Sebastian's missing book and organize his wardrobe as well as choosing which outfits he should wear the following days. The thief couldn't take a break and he worked until evening.

When Ciel finally had the chance to go to bed, Sebastian called him into the dining hall. The boy was extremely close to throwing a tantrum, but he stayed calm and dragged his feet to the dining hall, hoping that the prince wasn't going to ask him to make a midnight snack or some bull crap.

When Ciel entered the hall, he found Sebastian seated at the far end of the mahogany table with a bowl of pudding. On the other side of the table was another bowl of pudding, the chair pulled out and empty. It remained empty until Sebastian motioned to Ciel, and then the chair.

Ciel sat down at the table and stared down at the pudding before meeting eyes with the prince. Ciel broke the gaze and returned his focus back to the pudding in wonder.

"Don't worry, it isn't poisonous." Sebastian joked; he picked up the silver spoon besides the bowl and scooped some of the creamy substance before plopping it in his mouth. He smiled at the taste and gestured his spoon towards Ciel's pudding. "I made it myself actually, a special recipe I made just for the two of us. Please eat it, I'd like to know what you think."

Ciel frowned slightly at the strange looking food. He never had pudding before so it looked rather suspicious. Nevertheless, he took up a spoonful of the pudding and slid it in his mouth. He tested out the soft texture inside his mouth, savoring it's sweet taste before swallowing.

". . .It's good." Ciel mumbled, in result of him blushing slightly since he didn't want to admit it.

"Great!" Sebastian clapped his hands together in satisfaction.

"So what's this about?" Ciel asked, raising an eyebrow at the gleeful prince.

"This is part of the award for your hard work today." Sebastian remarked. "You did very well today, so I wanted to give you a treat, as well as that month that you wanted off."

"So you really do mean it?" Ciel leaned over with his eyebrow still raised in question.

"Of course, after all, I can't lie to my bride." Sebastian chuckled.

"You know. . ." Ciel propped back on his chair, crossing his arms. "If I'm supposed to be your bride, I shouldn't be doing all of these meaningless chores for you. You should do them yourself."

"But you chose to do them, dear. And besides, it's customary for women to do all the work for their men. So nothing has really changed from your job."

Ciel's glare darkened and he remained silent, refusing to eat the pudding as he kept a deadly glare trained on Sebastian. When it seemed that the prince was finally treating him alright, he ended up still being a jerk.

"But on a serious note. . ." Sebastian put down the spoon in the almost empty bowl. "I've talked to my father today and he seems to be in agreement with me about not using the bull as a threat to ward away the countries. Instead, I want to make some peace treaties. Like, perhaps travel over to the countries to bring them gifts and settle our differences."

"That sounds more reasonable than threatening them with a death machine." Ciel stated, deciding to take another spoon of the pudding.

"Yeah, I'll be making the arrangements since it's my idea and - "

"Can't the sultan do that?"

"Yes, but he hasn't been feeling well after the war and would rather rest than deal with anything else."

"Hmmm. . ." Ciel left the spoon hanging between his lips, contemplating the health of the sultan as his large, round eyes drifted to the ceiling. Sebastian's father seemed to be in shape and was rather lively during the banquet. The thief didn't mention it and just kept eating the pudding until the bowl was cleaned off.

"Done." Ciel said mainly to himself as he picked up the bowl, walking off to rinse it out. As soon as he got up, Sebastian stopped him, taking the bowl in his hands.

"You've done enough work. Off to bed," Sebastian exclaimed calmly, getting rather too close to the boy as he literally hovered over him from behind.

"I presume to _your_ bed?" Ciel inquired.

"_Our_ bed, actually."

Ciel rolled his eyes and allowed Sebastian to take his bowl as he stomped off, but halted as he reached the door. Not looking at the prince, he mumbled: ". . .Thanks for the pudding" right before leaving.

* * *

**A/N:** Been contemplating for a while bout this but would you guys be alright if this was switched to rated M? Nothing much will change with the plot except for the fact that there will be lemon, not much but there will be. This fic was originally gonna be rated M but I thought back on the policy but then realized that no one is exactly following it, so yeah, I'll be careful bout it and not overflow this fic with lemons. I'll be making a poll on whether or not this fic should be rated M so click either yes or no to decide what you want. And if the majority wants M, next chap will have lemon but those who don't like it can always skip, I'll give a fair warning in the A/N.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** So I got good news and bad news, I'll start with the bad news: I'm gonna go on vacation next week so there isn't going to be another chap till the following week. Unfortunately that update will be the last for a long while because I'll be going to college at the end of August, so I'm going to be very busy.

Okay, now for good news! Since a majority of you guys wanted this fic to be rated M, the rating has been switched. There's going to be some lemon between Sebastian and Ciel, but not much considering the fact that I have this fic planned out (except for a few minor changes here and there) thus I have to squeeze in just a few lemons for moments that don't seem out of place. **With that said, this chap will indeed have some lemon. ****For those who don't want to read the lemon, you can skip the beginning in which the scene ends at the first time break with the x's. **I want to be fair to everyone and don't want to lose anyone's interest with this fic with these slight changes.

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Ciel stepped into the bathroom that was connected to Sebastian's room. He started to change but then noticed that his nightshirt and pants were gone. Instead, there was a long, white, low-cut nightgown with lace spaghetti straps hanging on a towel rack where his previous clothes had been.

The thief glared at the nightgown, knowing full well that Sebastian probably wanted him to put it on. It was either that or nothing at all, so Ciel reluctantly slipped it over his head. The outfit was a bit big on him since the hem fell down to his feet, thus almost tripping him as he walked.

Once Ciel entered the room, a sickly sweet smell coming from the candles entered his nostrils. The aroma was rather intoxicating, making Ciel feel lightheaded. There seemed to be many candles in the room for some unusual reason, making the smell stronger.

Sebastian was perfectly fine as he lay on his bed; most times, he put candles out in the evening to help him sleep. However, Ciel felt like vomiting. Sebastian was still in his fancy robes but had them on loosely, not bothering to fix them properly. He gently patted the side of the bed, ordering Ciel to come over with the silent gesture. The thief stepped towards him and sat down at the very end, but like before, he was pulled back into the prince's warm embrace.

"Do I ever get any personal space?" Ciel asked, trying lazily to tug away from the prince's hold. Sebastian was able to keep his arms around him with little to no effort.

"Afraid not," Sebastian smiled smugly as he plucked at one of Ciel's straps, letting it slip down to expose the entity of the boy's smooth shoulder.

Ciel snapped the strap against the top of his shoulder for emphasis and glared childishly up at Sebastian; he just wanted to sleep and the intoxicating smell from the candles certainly wasn't helping.

"…Especially since I have one more order for you tonight."

There couldn't possibly be anything worse than the outfit Ciel was currently wearing, so he decided to stay awake to hear what it was. "What?"

"Allow me…" The prince snaked one hand to the boy's hip before descending to his leg while the other lightly rested at the bottom of Ciel's chin, tilting it upwards. "…to have my way with you."

"Wha - what!?" Ciel shrieked. "You can't be serious!"

"But it's an order." Sebastian remarked with a sly smile. "And you're supposed to follow them unconditionally." Tapping the tip Ciel's nose with his index finger, Sebastian's smile grew.

The rich and bitter smell of the candles clouded Ciel's mind, making everything within it melt like the wax of each golden stalk. He was too much in a daze to realize that Sebastian had slipped down each strap and was giving his neck a peck before moving to claim to his open mouth.

Sebastian slid his tongue inside, causing Ciel to gasp at the intrusion. Ciel raised a hand to slap him, but Sebastian caught the hand without looking, coiling his digits gently over the wrist and guiding the little fingers closed.

"Do I have to restrain you, Ciel?" Sebastian teased. "Perhaps it will be better for the both of us."

"Don't you dare…" Ciel whispered - blissfully breathless from the kiss - while narrowing his eyes.

As a prince, Sebastian didn't have too much experience with not getting what he wanted. Instead of listening to the boy, he got up and acquired long strands of ribbon from who knows where, carrying them back with a cheery grin. "Relax…it won't be that bad." He reached out for the other's leg, attempting to gingerly loop it into one of the strings.

"Stop it right now!" Ciel demanded; he could have easily gotten up to leave if he wanted to, but for some reason, the portion of his mind that wanted him to stay outweighed the rest of his thoughts.

"It's not good if you wake up the entire palace." Sebastian exclaimed, beginning to tie Ciel's hand to one of the bedposts, tightening him up securely but tenderly. "I would like to cover your mouth, but I want to clearly hear your moans."

Sebastian went over to tie the second hand while Ciel lay smirking in disbelief at the ceiling. It was like a drug had entered him, setting him into a daze but still letting him adjust to his surroundings.

When Sebastian was done tying Ciel's limbs to each bedpost - positioning the boy into an X-shaped position - the prince slithered a hand underneath Ciel's nightgown, bringing his fingers up to his underwear. He plucked playfully at the fabric before sliding it down to his ankles, exposing his cock.

Ciel flinched when Sebastian grabbed his erection, tenderly brushing his fingertips over the muscle then pumping it. The thief squirmed with delight at the touch but could barely move due to his bonds, much to the prince's pleasure.

Sebastian stopped to raise the hem of the nightgown, exposing more of the boy's bare bottom. Ciel shuddered, not knowing whether it was with fear or enjoyment as Sebastian's fingers crawled over the upper half of his body within the nightgown, snaking his way back down to his exposed thigh.

Ciel blushed furiously when Sebastian unexpectedly stuck two of his fingers into his tight entrance, scissoring through to make enough room. Before long, Ciel began to move instinctively into the prince's fingers, grinding his body rhythmically.

When Sebastian released his fingers, he pulled at the nightgown again, hiking it up even higher as it gradually slid down over Ciel's slender hips. Sebastian let his robes loose, allowing them to scatter on the bed and floor. He hovered his naked body over Ciel's with his cock anticipating going inside.

"Are you ready for this?" Sebastian stroked Ciel's cheek lightly before drawing his fingers over to the boy's smooth parted lips.

"No." Ciel remarked, attempting to sound flippant but failing. Try as he might, the boy couldn't tear his lidded gaze from Sebastian's seductive, searing stare.

"Too bad." Sebastian whispered deeply as he moved his hands to hold to the boy's bound ones. "But I'm sure after this you'll be begging for more." Again, he smirked happily down at Ciel, his expression actually portraying more lust than playfulness.

"No I wo- ah!" Sebastian's cock rammed in suddenly without warning, making Ciel grit his teeth and grip the sheets. The prince pushed in further, grunting as he thrusted his way through tight muscles.

"Nnggghh. . .Ah. . .Ah. . .Se - Sebastian!" Ciel's body shook in a sensation of pleasure as the prince thrusted in and out of him, his hands pressed down on the other's. Ciel's back arched upward before falling back down, his head hitting against the pillow repetitively.

Ciel moaned as Sebastian came in faster, slamming into him at a quickened pace. Ciel craned his neck back, his moans growing louder at each swift motion. He shamelessly muttered out words like "Keep going" and "Harder" in whimpering whispers. But the prince especially liked it when the boy moaned out his name.

Sebastian obliged, delighted that Ciel was enjoying it. However, the prince wasn't going to untie the boy from his bonds just yet; he was rather fond of him being entirely vulnerable, like a doll. Ciel was fully his now; he didn't belong to anyone else.

x~x~x~x~x

Ciel got a very uncomfortable vibe once he entered the dinning hall. He carried the royal's family's breakfast on a tray, setting the plates in front of a smiling Sebastian - Ciel avoided his gaze at all costs due to his face heating up-and a vexed Claude, whom was tapping his long fingers on the table. The sultan was still sleeping, so it was just the brothers sitting across from each other, utterly quiet except for the faint drumming of Claude's fingers.

The boy dismissed himself as swiftly as he could without saying anything. Once he closed the door, he heard Claude halting his action to ask a question that made Ciel squeak.

"So what were you guys doing last night?" Claude adjusted his glasses, pushing them up to the bridge of his nose as he stared intensely at his brother. "It was unnecessarily loud and I think you've forgotten that I am right across the hall, trying to sleep in peace."

Ciel gulped down heavily, thinking back on last night and how. . . active. . . they were. The boy felt his face heating up again and shook his head, wondering what the hell he was thinking. Ciel groaned, wondering if Sebastian slipped some sort of drug in the pudding that made him so submissive.

"Well," Sebastian chuckled lightly. "We were playing a game, of course."

"A game?" Claude raised an eyebrow skeptically as he wondered what type of game would elicit such articulations from the young boy. He wasn't dumb, and had an idea what had happened between his brother and the servant. Nonetheless, he received a nod of confirmation from Sebastian without pressing the matter any further. If it had, in fact, been a game, he didn't necessarily want to know what kind of game it was; all he wanted was some peace. "Be quiet next time, or play your game somewhere else, it's rather annoying."

"Will do." Ciel could sense the smile in the prince's voice. He groaned and felt like ripping off his hair or banging his head on the nearest wall.

x~x~x~x~x

Sebastian found Ciel in Sabirah's room, feeding Ali while Finny was playing with the other cubs. Ali was resting on Ciel's lap, sucking on a bottle of milk hungrily. The boy didn't notice Sebastian's presence until he sat down next to him, startling him and nearly dropping the bottle.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" Ciel exclaimed.

"My, you get scared so easily." Sebastian teased, amused by how adorable the boy was as he noticed the blush growing on his cheeks.

"Shut up." Ciel muttered, averting his eyes from the prince.

Sebastian picked up Ali and set him on his lap, letting the cub nibble on his finger. The prince smiled, but it dropped quickly when he saw the cub's injured leg. "What happened here?"

Ciel turned to Sebastian's direction, faltering at the realization that he couldn't say what exactly happened, so he had to make up a lie. Without looking at the prince, Ciel replied: "He fell and hurt his leg."

"How did he fall?"

"He was running around and tripped."

"Hmmm. . .well he needs to be more careful next time. But why didn't you tell me this immediately?" Sebastian asked sternly with narrowed eyes.

". . . You weren't around when it happened so I took action and bandaged his leg and made sure he didn't do anything reckless again." Ciel mumbled, still letting his eyes go astray, focusing on Finny who was hugging an annoyed Sabirah. The mother tiger looked like she wanted to chomp the gardener's head off if he didn't leave her kids alone.

"I. . .also didn't want you to get mad at me if I told you," Ciel added, his shoulders slouching while he lowered his gaze to the floor. ". . .Sorry."

Sebastian's smile returned and his hand snuck up to cup the boy's face. The prince took a brief sideways glance at Finny, making sure he wasn't watching as he kissed Ciel tenderly on the lips. It was just for a second but the boy felt his heart leap and was grateful that Finny was too occupied to see. In speaking of the gardener, Sabirah was currently chasing him around the room, attempting to pounce on him.

"It's all right, just tell me next time if anything like that happens again." Sebastian remarked.

"Okay." Ciel nodded, a bit in a daze by the sudden kiss. He had expected all advances to have stopped after last night, and the unabashed display of affection caught him off guard - maybe the prince actually did have feelings for him...

"Good, now I'd like you to finish that sculpture...father has questioned why it looks so diffrent." Sebastian stated, giving Ali a soft stroke behind his ear and making the cub purr blissfully.

"Fine." Ciel sighed, getting up but stopping to turn to Sebastian before he left. "By the way, why did you tell Claude we were playing a game last night?"

"Oh, were you listening to our conversation?" Sebastian inquired with a chuckle. "It's rather rude to eavesdrop."

"You two were being loud, I could easily hear you guys!" Ciel exclaimed before stomping off, leaving a rather amused Sebastian.

"Oh really...? Because I could have sworn that Claude said the same exact thing about you..." The prince said somewhat to himself as he watched the flustered boy storm away.

When Ciel was gone, Sebastian was about to leave as well but then his father entered the room. The sultan greeted Finny - who was still being chased by Sabirah-and smiled humbly to Sebastian.

"When are you going to make the arrangements, Sebastian?" The sultan asked, curious to know what his exact plan was concerning the other countries.

"I'm thinking about tomorrow, actually, I'll be going to each of our neighboring countries with gifts, bringing them good hospitality so they can respect us instead of fearing us." Sebastian encouraged, bringing enlightenment to his father's eyes as his smile grew. He laid a hand on his son's shoulder, giving a lively pat.

"You are so generous, my son. I should host a feast tonight to celebrate your kind efforts to bring peace to our land and to others. It's going to be a long journey for you so I'll make sure tonight's celebration will be a memorable one." At first, he was skeptical about Sebastian's plans, but hearing his son speak about them out loud assured him - Sebastian knew what he was doing.

"Thank you. . . but please don't roast anyone tonight, I don't want my appetite to be spoiled." Sebastian exclaimed with a sour look. His thoughts drifted back to Ciel, and he began to worry about how the young servant was and what he was doing...and if Ciel was thinking about him too.

"Yes, yes, this feast will be just for you and so we'll have it the way you want it." The sultan nodded, entirely understanding his son's needs and wanting to do everything that was best for him.

Sebastian thanked his father once more and was eager to make this night quite the enjoyable one.

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**A/N: **So there's going to be another feast, but this time no one is gonna get roasted to death~ Since the next chap is going to take a while, I'll give you a little preview on what's gonna happen next: Sebastian gives Ciel an order to something entertaining for him and the guests during the feast. Sebastian talks a bit about his past to Ciel and more Seb x Ciel fluff. Next chap will also be the last really lighthearted and fun chap, after that the fic is going to take a much darker turn~


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** So this is the calm before the storm chap! After this, the fic's gonna take a dark turn with twists that won't make this fic so simple and sweet anymore, bwahahaha~ Like I said last chap, the updates will be pretty slow from now on, so please be patient and I'll try my best to get chaps updated.

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Meyrin came scurrying down the hall until she came across the kitchen, throwing herself inside and practically startling Bard and Ciel as the two prepared lunch. Tanaka, who was seated on a stool drinking tea, bounced a foot into the air before coming back down and drinking his tea like nothing had happened.

"Guys! There's going to be another feast tonight so we have to get this place prepared!"

"Another feast? But we just had one the other day." Bard retorted dryly, pursing his lips at the sudden proclamation. Ciel, on the other hand, froze in place. He had the uncomfortable feeling that this feast would be all too similar to the other. _Someone is going to be burned alive tonight, _the thought haunted him, and he couldn't help but think that he would have to suffer through those drastic screams again.

"Ciel? Oi, Ciel!" Bard waved a hand in front of the boy's face, getting him out of his daze.

"Wha-what?" Ciel blinked several times, swirling his head around hastily before noticing that Bard and meyrin were in front of him looking rather concerned.

"You okay?" Meyrin asked, worried. "You look awfully pale all of a sudden."

"Ye-yeah. . ." Ciel took a slow, deep breath and shook his head, getting the horrible image out of his mind. "I think I'll excuse myself from the feast tonight. . . "

"Eh!? But you're expected to make an appearance!" Meyrin exclaimed, flailing her arms around and shaking the boy's shoulders. "Tomorrow Prince Sebastian is going to be leaving and tonight is meant to be the going away celebration-"

"Wait, where is he going?" Ciel cut her off.

"Prince Sebastian is going to the neighboring countries to make good arrangements with the kingdoms and the sultan's giving him a feast." Meyrin clearly remarked, giving confirmation nods to the servants.

"All of this seems kind of sudden." Bard remarked, rubbing his chin in wonder.

"Prince Sebastian wants to make this quick, yes. That's why he's leaving tomorrow. So we have to get ourselves ready for this, right-oh." Meyrin turned to Ciel but found that the boy was gone. Ciel had rushed out of the room before Meyrin and Bard could notice. The two servants exchanged looks and wondered where Ciel had run off to.

The boy sprinted down the hall feeling both ticked that Sebastian didn't tell him about leaving sooner, and skeptical about the feast. Ciel finally found Sebastian near the entrance, but he was in the middle of talking with two people. Ciel halted, nearly falling down face first from the lack of balance and his silk slippers. He still wasn't comfortable about wearing women's clothing, and never would be.

"Oh, there you are, Ciel." Sebastian smiled, bringing the boy to his side and facing the two people. One was a man with closed eyes who was wearing an elaborate robe with a fiery dragon stitched around the silky, green fabric. Next to him - or rather, attach to him - was a woman adorned in a strapless top and skirt that had a split in the side, revealing a large portion of her thigh.

"I'd like you to meet some dear friends of the family, Lau and Ranmao. They're among the guests that will be appearing tonight for the feast...I'm sure Meyrin already told you about it." Sebastian remarked.

In the face of the guests, Ciel's voice went up a few awkward octaves so his cover wouldn't be blown. "Nice to meet you both. Yes she did tell me, but there's something I need to ask you-"

"Ah, is this the bride you've been talking about?" Lau mindlessly interrupted, leaning towards Ciel and still keeping his eyes closed for some strange reason.

"Indeed this is," Sebastian nodded, snaking a hand down to Ciel's hip, causing him to flinch slightly in surprise.

"Well it's been about time, how long have you been searching - one hundred, two hundred years?" Lau joked.

"Oh, I don't know, but it doesn't matter anymore." Sebastian ignored the attempt at humor by shrugging and turning his attention to Ciel. "Now what did you want to ask me, dear?"

Ciel's eye twitched. Did he really have to call him dear, again? The boy took a sideways glance at the guests and then back to the prince. "Can you tell me a bit more about this feast tonight? I don't think I clearly understood from Meyrin."

"Well my father just wanted to put on a celebration for me tonight before I leave tomorrow. I decided to make the arrangements quickly just incase something came up. Father recently told me about this so the news just got out, but coincidentally these two decided to visit and are now among the guests." Sebastian explained.

". . .So you're leaving tomorrow? When are you coming back?" Ciel asked as his voice took on a delicate and worried tone. In result, Sebastian chuckled slightly.

"Are you worrying about me, Ciel?" Sebastian inquired, his smile spreading more and made the boy blush.

"No, I was just asking." Ciel frowned, narrowing his eyes but the blush on his face failed to cover his lie.

"I'm not sure, actually. All of the kingdoms are surrounded by a vast desert that takes days to cross and there's a lot of places to visit, so perhaps a few weeks, even a month or two."

"I see. . ." Ciel's voice trailed off and his eyes dropped to the floor under furrowed brows. Lau jumped in and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"Don't worry, Sebastian has crossed the desert many times so he'll be back sooner than you'll realize, isn't that right, Ranmao." Lau turned to the woman who just tilted her head to the side in question.

"Oh, and speaking of which!" Lau clapped his hand suddenly, sliding over to Sebastian's side. "I'm sure you need some form of entertainment for tonight, Ranmao is a professional belly dancer so I'm sure that will provide you some entertainment."

"Of course, but. . ." Sebastian glanced over at Ciel. There was a strange twinkle in his eye that indicated that something was up. "I don't think one belly dancer would be enough."

Ciel blinked. ". . .Why are you looking at me like that?"

x~x~x~x~x

Ciel heaved out a deep sigh, glaring down at what he was wearing. His attire consisted of what Ranmao was wearing, except his garment was midnight blue while Ranmao's was forest green. Several types of jewelry from hooped earrings to a glittering sapphire necklace decorated his thin body. The boy glared darkly at Sebastian, who was smiling widely and couldn't hold back a laugh.

"First you make me your bride, now you're forcing me to belly dance?" Ciel asked through gritted teeth.

"Yes." Sebastian simply nodded, clearly enjoying this very much while Ciel was about to explode.

"Why? I don't even know how to belly dance, you know!" Ciel tried to explain, wanting to get out of it so damn badly.

"Don't worry, Ranmao will show you." Sebastian stepped to the side where the cat-like woman was standing. She came up to Ciel and pulled up his arms, spreading them apart.

"Mimic." Ranmao stated, doing the same thing with her arms. She spread them apart and flicked her wrists, then twisted her elbows and moved her arms gently up and down as if she were gliding. She kept her body balanced while her arms worked through a smooth flow like a current.

Ciel was extremely hesitant about this, so much so that he was sure that he was going to get sick. His stomach literally felt like it was strangling itself as his body trembled. He was swiftly losing balance and Ranmao constantly had to focus him by repeating the word "mimic" every once in a while.

The boy was getting really tired of this and wanted to stop but he couldn't. This was unfortunately an order and if Ciel couldn't cooperate then Sebastian would add an entire month to his sentence.

"Mimic." Ranmao repeated once more, now gingerly swaying her hips from side to side. She wore a loose belt from which many silver and gold coins were dangling. They jingled with the flow, chiming a soft rhythm as she danced. Ranmao's belly started to ripple lightly, bringing herself to move fluidly, as if she were boneless.

The upper half of her body was in motion while her legs buckled together. Every once in a while she swirled around while tossing out her hips swiftly but slowed herself down for the most part. She kept stern eyes on Ciel, making sure that the boy was doing it correctly but he lacked so much balance and patience that it was literally impossible for him.

Ranmao wasn't at all pleased with Ciel's failed attempts to dance. She didn't say anything but her blank facial expression proved to be quite intimidating. That expression would most likely appear in Ciel's nightmares tonight. . .at least that would be better than dreaming about being burned alive. Ciel shuddered uneasily at the thought and focused more on the dance.

"How's everything going?" Lau popped his head through the door, stretching out a hand to wave cheerfully at the duo in the room. He waltzed right in, heading over to Ranmao and patting her on the head. "Is the little princess cooperating well with you, Ranmao?"

"No." Ranmao bluntly replied, that single word was like a stab wound but Ciel had his attention on the nickname Lau provided him, causing the boy's eye to twitch sporadically and the dire urge to choke him developed.

"Don't worry," Lau pinched the tall dancer's cheek, playfully stretching it while Ranmao kept her static demeanor. "I'm sure the little princess will get her act together."

Ranmao just frowned while Lau kept pulling at her cheeks like a child, especially when squishing Ranmao's nose with his index finger. Ciel wondered how that guy could be tolerated at all.

x~x~x~x~x

"Oh, you look so cute!" Meyrin gushed, adding the final touches to Ciel's outfit excitedly. The adrenalized maid was far too excited about this, never minding the fact that Ciel detested it all. He was slouched on the stool, legs hanging out loosely with his arms slumped at his sides. Ciel bowed his head, allowing Meyrin to place the coin headband on with ease.

The maid cupped Ciel's gloomy face, smiling at him in hopes to cheer him up but the boy was beyond humiliated at this point and felt that he might as well disentigrate into nothingness now.

"It's going to be fine, Ciel. Remember, this is for Prince Sebastian-"

"He wants to humiliate me." Ciel muttered, pushing back the headband so the coins didn't block his vision.

"But Prince Sebastian is doing this so you don't get caught. Also he wants to make this night a memorable one since he'll be going away for a while." Meyrin exclaimed, applying a bit too much blush to the boy's cheeks. Ciel coughed lightly when a cloud of powder floated around his head.

"Sorry, sorry!" Meyrin waved off the cloud and resumed the conversation. "Anyways, I'm sure you're going to be great. Just follow Ranmao's movements and don't pay any attention to the hundreds of eyes staring at you. Ah, I shouldn't have said that!"

Ciel frowned slightly but didn't press the matter further. He couldn't anyways since Ranmao had entered the room and took a sudden hold of Ciel's arm, muttering an abrupt "It's time" before hauling the startled boy away.

"W-wait just a minute!" Ciel stammered, struggling to yank his arm away. He used his free hand to grab on to the wall. As he was dragged, Ciel's nails scratched upon the stone, leaving five crinkly lines on the wall which showed enough proof of the boy's desperation to get out of there.

It wasn't long before the two were standing in front of a thick, burgundy curtain which blocked one of the entryways to the ballroom. Ciel gave up on his struggle since there was no point anymore and just wanted to get it over with so he could have a nice, long bath.

When they got to the curtain, the sultan was already talking in his booming voice, announcing how Sebastian's going to be a great sultan with his goals and how he'll make the kingdom better. When he was done, there was a massive round of applause before the sultan continued.

"Now, tonight's entertainment is going to be a little different but will just be as enjoyable as the other night. Princess Ciel is going to perform a dance for all of us and will be accompanied by the lovely 'Silent Dancer' Ranmao." The sultan pulled away some of the curtain, peeking his head in to see the duo. "Are you two ready?"

In unison, Ranmao nodded and Ciel frantically shook his head. The sultan thought Ciel was being a bit shy but was going to get used to it quickly. He smiled and replied with a nod, turning back to the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, please give your undivided attention to these two lovely ladies: Princess Ciel and Ranmao."

A roar of applause erupted, but quickly died down to allow the musicians to play their instruments, providing a serene atmosphere in the room. The sultan returned to his table, making way for Ranmao and Ciel to enter.

Ciel avoided eye contact with everyone except for Ranmao, who immediately started the performance. She spread out her arms, waving them with her belly following the same motion. Ciel had no idea how to make his belly move like that so he just waved his arms about.

It was as if the girl was half-snake or something because she was just so graceful. Ciel, on the other hand, was stiff and forgot that he had to ease himself and let his body just flow like the current of a wave or the wings of a bird. He was pretty much like a rock as he struggled his way through his performance. To make matters worse, the music started to speed up, indicating that they had to dance quickly to keep with the tempo.

Ranmao raised her arms up, jiggling the bracelets on her wrists as she swirled them about. She tossed her hips from side to side wildly, purposely nudging Ciel to keep up. Ciel glared at the dancer from the corner of his eye and reluctantly obliged. He raised his arms up as well and jiggled the bracelets as well, but throwing his hips from side to side was out of the question.

Ranmao gave Ciel a glare as well and nudged him again, almost causing the poor boy to topple over. Ciel inwardly groaned and regrettably swayed his hips from side to side while at the same time, cursing himself with all the curse words he knew in his mind. He was pretty sure that everyone was laughing at him right now, but surprisingly, not the slightest snicker was uttered.

The only sounds that registered were the music and the clinking coins from the belts wrapped around their skirts. Nevertheless, Ciel didn't want to see anyone's reactions, especially Sebastian's. By this point, the prince was probably smirking so much that the smile would most likely never leave his face.

Ranmao then stretched out her arms, lacing one wrist on top of the other as she faced the audience blankly but took at a sideways glance at Ciel to make sure he would do the same thing. The music started to slow, indicating that the performance was almost over. Ciel was much grateful about that so he mimicked the dancer's movements. He somewhat started to understand how to do this, but unfortunately he looked up. Immediately, in an unfortunate twist of fate, he made eye contact with Sebastian.

Those lidded red irises were practically glued onto Ciel, which made the boy blush deeply. Sebastian had a small, soft smile which showed that he was entertained no matter if Ciel was doing it correctly or not, just as long as he did it. Sebastian's comforted expression eased Ciel a little, but it didn't help much with his dancing since he was still doing poorly.

Luckily, the music stopped and Ranmao finished with one last wiggle from her belly before bowing her head. Ciel just stopped altogether and stepped back, attempting to hide back within the curtain but was pulled forward by Ranmao. Ciel swore that this woman was only there to torment him to no end.

Everyone was clapping; it was like they were brainwashed since they didn't seem to mind all of the mistakes that Ciel made. Unless, if anyone did think the performance was bad, that someone would probably get cooked inside of the bull. No matter the case, the torture-filled dance was over, and Ciel could have tried to sneak out. . .if Ranmao wasn't grabbing his arm and bringing him up to the table where the royal family was sitting.

The sultan was clapping louder than necessary while Claude gave the boy an odd but intrigued look. He was smirking slightly and Ciel wasn't sure if he was amused or just weirded out from what he saw. Sebastian finally let loose about how flustered Ciel was. He was about to say something until the sultan cut him off.

"That was a delightful performance you two did." The sultan commented, slowing down his clapping.

"Yes," Claude added on, but his tone was rather somber. "It was an. . .interesting performance. However, Sebastian," Claude turned to his brother sternly, pursing his lips which looked like they could leak out venom. "I think you're just showing off your _princess_, perhaps spoiling her and not exactly. . .treating her how she should be treated."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes while Claude faced away, picking up his chalice and subtly started swirling it about, letting the blood red liquid to swish within. The sultan, who was sitting in between the brothers was uncomfortable by the rising tension between his sons, suddenly burst into nervous laughter.

"Please cheer up you two, especially you, Claude. You should be proud for your brother. He has a lovely bride and will be fulfilling an excellent goal tomorrow, so drink your wine and eat the food merrily." The sultan exclaimed, gesturing a hand over to the food in front of them. He then focused his attention on Ciel-Ranmao had walked off to sit on Lau's lap at another table.

"Don't mind him, my dear. Now sit down and eat and drink too." The sultan proclaimed, handing Ciel a goblet of wine. Ciel stared down at the liquid curiously. He never had wine before but didn't want to be rude by not drinking it. He took a very small sip but stopped himself quickly, having the urge to throw up. His face scrunched together, transitioning to a sickening green at the repulsive taste. Without anyone noticing, he spat out the drink and placed the goblet down.

Ciel cleared his throat and sat down, scooting the goblet away from him as far as possible. The awful taste was tingling on his tongue and he needed something to get rid of it. Luckily there was a glass of water nearby and he got a hold of it swiftly, draining the liquid down his throat till the entire glass was empty in seconds.

The boy sighed in relief, relinquishing that awful taste successfully. _How could anyone like that stuff? It's so disgusting. _

"Are you okay?" Sebastian's velvety voice brought Ciel back from his thoughts.

"I'm fine." Ciel replied, avoiding eye contact again and focusing on the empty glass. But it was kind of hard to avoid the prince's gaze since he scooted his chair closer to the boy and leaned in a bit too close.

"Do you want some fresh air?" Sebastian asked.

"I guess. . ." Ciel shrugged, going outside would be a good idea, especially to avoid the crowd and Claude's uncomfortable stares pierced at him. The two excused themselves and walked out of the ballroom while the feast continued.

x~x~x~x~x

Sebastian and Ciel sat down at one of the benches in the courtyard. The sun had already set and there was a canopy of stars illuminating the sky. The bench was facing the back of the palace, chandeliers were clearly seen through massive glass windows, giving off a warm glow inside while it was a bit chilly where the two were.

Ciel took off the belt since it was uncomfortable to sit on and put it on his lap. He also took off the headband since the coins kept getting tangled in his thin hair. He sighed and rested back on the bench.

"That performance was really delightful to watch." Sebastian responded with an honest smile, but was rewarded with a grimace from the boy.

"You humiliated me. . ." Ciel muttered grimly.

"Everyone liked it though."

"It looked like they were forced to like it." Ciel corrected flatly but then added. "Well, except for your brother, which is understandable since he's always so negative."

"True. . ." Sebastian agreed with a slight nod and then gestured his head towards the sky. The stars were sparkling so brightly against the dark veil, they could almost surpass the brightness of the crescent moon which was hanging just above one of the palace's towers. "He's just annoyed that he's not the one getting the praise tonight. Considering that I'm the oldest, I'm father's more gifted son and the crown prince while Claude struggles to please our father, on top of the fact that he won't become sultan, but he wants to.

"However, there was a time where things were simpler and we weren't fighting to win our father's trust and loyalty. When Claude and I were children we always went outside on nights like this to point out all the constellations and had a contest about how many constellations we could find the fastest. But on one particular night, there was a huge meteor shower.

"There were hundreds of them flying across the sky, it was an amazing sight. Claude and I woke mother and father up and dragged them outside for them to see. They were annoyed that we woke them up, but when they saw those meteors, their mood quickly changed and we all sat down on the grass to watch.

"However, that was the last cheerful time we had as a family. . .mother died soon afterwards from a disease and father entered many wars to let out his anger as well as claim as much land as needed to build a great empire for when I'm sultan. However Claude doesn't believe that I'll be a good leader and tries to force father into believing that he'll be a better one. Unfortunately for him, it's always the eldest son who will be sultan and has the more reasonable plans." Sebastian concluded, but then realized he probably said much more than needed. He turned to Ciel who was clearly listening with the subtle hint of sympathy in his eyes but also had something else on his mind as he broke contact, fidgeting with his fingers in a gradual manner.

"Is something wrong?" Sebastian asked.

"No. . ." Ciel trailed off, his tone of voice just a mumble but still audible. He wasn't good at hiding whatever he was keeping from the prince.

"It's about tomorrow, isn't it?" The prince guessed.

Ciel's shoulder flinched which confirmed the reasoning for the boy's sudden timidness. Ciel refused to look at the prince as he spoke. "I'm just wondering if. . .I can come with you tomorrow."

Sebastian's eyes widened slightly but then softened as a small smile crossed his lips. Ciel was being honest which surprised the prince greatly. He was sure that Ciel would be glad that he would be gone for a while. . .but the boy's attitude towards him seemed to change. However, Sebastian shook his head and responded calmly. "No. . .the desert is too dangerous to travel across-"

"But I've been through the desert." Ciel argued, cutting Sebastian off as he continued nonetheless in his calm voice.

"-It doesn't matter, I'd rather you stay here-"

"But-"

"It's an order." Sebastian exclaimed firmly. "Besides, you have a lot of things to do here. . .there's taking care of the tigers, preparing meals, keeping everything organized. . .whenever I come back from trips, the palace is always a mess because the servants are clueless without my help and Claude is lazy to do anything while father is too busy or is at war. So I need you to keep everything organized and make sure nothing goes wrong here. Understood?"

". . . Yes." Ciel nodded reluctantly.

"Good." Sebastian's smile returned. He placed a finger under Ciel's chin and raised it up so that the boy was looking straight at him. "Do you want to return to the ballroom or stay here for a bit longer?"

"I. . ." Ciel paused, captivated by the prince's longing gaze that set him in a dreamlike state. He shook his head slowly, not clearly deciding on what he wanted, so Sebastian chose for him. He leaned forward and passionately kissed him. Ciel's face heated up, his mind racing profoundly as he came to the conclusion that Sebastian really had feelings for him. After all, Ciel had feelings for the prince as well.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm having a hard time imagining Chibi!Sebastian and Chibi!Claude hanging out together and having a fun time, it's like the world would combust entirely if that would happens. I dunno, maybe someone should like, draw a pic of Chibi!Sebastian and Chibi!Claude looking up at the stars through a telescope or binoculars and having fun and then we'll see if the world does end after that's accomplished. Or perhaps someone should draw a pic of Ciel attempting to belly dance, now that was an interestingly weird read, wasn't it? But it definitely seems like something that Sebastian would order Ciel to do in this particular fic, so I had to put that in somewhere. But someone should draw that, it will be cute and I think it would be more believable than those chibi demon butlers having a fun time together instead of trying to stab one another with forks and knives.

So before anyone bashes me about belly dancing, I admit that I don't know a lot about it and only saw a few videos of people belly dancing and did a bit of research so. . .yeah, if I've written anything wrong bout it, correct me in a friendly manner and don't give me a lecture. I just want honest criticism and good feedback, that's all. In speaking of which, please keep those reviews coming since I'd like to know what you guys think bout this fic so far. The fic's heading to the second act, things are going to get more serious and complicated, there's gonna be drama, angst, tons of hurt/comfort moments, flashbacks, torture, appearances of new characters, etc. It's gonna be a fairly long fic so lots of stuff is gonna happen~

Hopefully you all enjoyed this last really cheerful and fun chap~ And considering that it's gonna be a while till the next update, I'll give you a brief preview on what's gonna happen next. Sebastian leaves, giving Claude the advantage to order Ciel around to do more crap for him and the sultan also has a conversation with Ciel about Sebastian. That's all I can really say, but thank you all who have been reading/reviewing/favoriting and alerting this fic so far, I hope to keep your interest till the end since we still have a long way to go~


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** There's something that I've noticed in the last few chaps, I've lost a few followers for this fic, like some people have deleted this fic from their favs and or alerts. I don't know exactly who, but it saddens me to know that some of you guys don't like this fic anymore, even though that not much has happened yet. I guess it's somewhat understandable since I switched this to rated M, but most of you guys were fine with it and it's not like the plot changed. But besides that, I don't know what else could be problem. Anyways, here's the new chap and I'm glad that I was able to update it. I just started college which is pretty overwhelming.

* * *

Ciel's hand subconsciously curled around, reaching for something but only grabbing air. He drowsily opened his eyes and found the left side of the bed empty; the side where Sebastian slept. Ciel stared at the empty spot for a moment, not knowing whether to feel sorrowful or to feel nothing at all.

Ciel hoisted himself up, his elbows propped back on the mattress. He rubbed his eyes and turned to see a piece of parchment on the nightstand. He unfolded it to see that it was a small letter from Sebastian.

_Dearest Ciel . . ._ Ciel began reading through, getting up from the bed and walking across the room as he continued. _I would've woken you up before I left, but you sleep so soundly that I couldn't find it in myself disturb you. I apologize for my abrupt departure but I needed to go. However, I will be back soon enough. I have a list of chores for you to do—_Ciel returned his gaze to the nightstand where he found another parchment of paper rolled up.

_I trust that you'll be able to do everything correctly before I return. You have enough time to do them, but of course you have to take care of yourself and not worry about Claude. I've told him not to bother you since you're my servant. I would've liked to take you on my journey, but I believed it would've been best for you to stay here, so this is goodbye for now. Sincerely, Sebastian. P.S. On the back of the list is the recipe for the pudding incase you want to make some for yourself._

Ciel checked the back of the list for the recipe. The recipe was pretty simple so there wouldn't be much of a problem while making it, unlike the soup he made and the countless other meals that he practically ruined. Ciel grimaced at the thought and flipped over the recipe, focusing his attention on the chores. The first thing that he had to do was prepare breakfast for the sultan and bring it to his bedchamber. Apparently the sultan enjoyed breakfast in bed, so Ciel had to do this task accurately so he didn't have his head rolling off of his shoulders.

Ciel—reluctant as always—put on a turquoise-green dress from the wardrobe of clothes that Sebastian forced him to wear—each was a different shade of blue with a blend of one or more colors. Accessories such as belts, shawls, headdresses, jewelry, etc. were also included and were apparently a priority - at least, according to the prince. Ciel just wrapped a veil around his face—excluding his eyes—so his annoyed expressions couldn't be noticed. He then thought that he might as well conceal a majority of his face for the rest of his time here . . .

The boy was about to leave the room until he remembered to grab the letter that was left on the nightstand. He took another glance at it again before tucking it away in one of the small pockets within the dress.

x~x~x~x~x

Ciel knocked on the sultan's door, immediately being welcomed inside. The chamber was relatively dark with the thick curtains blocking the window, allowing only a small sliver of light to seep out. Ciel blindly strode across the massive room and pulled away the curtains, hoping that the sultan wouldn't mind terribly. The sun was practically burning into the window, but filled the room in the faint ivory glow of the morning.

The sultan was sitting up on his four-post bed that was engulfed in a canopy. His grey-black hair was in disarray and his eyes were drooping and reddened from lack of sleep. A weak smile crossed his lips when Ciel set the tray of food on his lap. His breakfast consisted of a small bowl of fresh fruit, oatmeal and hot tea.

"Thank you, my dear. You didn't have to do this." The sultan commented, scooping up a spoonful of the oatmeal and blowing at it lightly.

"I wanted to show some generosity to my soon to be father in-law." Ciel swiftly pulled out the façade but mentally slapped himself for saying that. Well, it wasn't the worst thing he was forced to say while being under the disguise of a princess.

"You're a very sweet girl." The sultan patted Ciel's arm in a charitable gesture, and the boy was thankful for the veil around his face due to the fact that his facial expression was one of disgust.

"Thanks, I should be going now." Ciel excused himself, taking his arm away from the sultan's touch as he moved away.

"Yes, of course." The sultan nodded but then added before Ciel reached for the doorknob. "I'm sure you miss him already."

Ciel paused, stopping himself from walking any further. A bit of the letter was poking out from his pocket and Ciel shoved it back in. He didn't exactly know how to respond to that. He just stared down at the doorknob wordlessly as the sultan continued speaking.

"He'll be back soon so please don't worry—"

"I'm not worrying," Ciel cut him off, but lowered his voice slightly realizing that he was a bit loud and nearly lost his girly octave. " . . .I just thought he left too quickly."

"Well he does want to get this done as soon as possible." The sultan exclaimed, picking up a group of grapes by the stem, plucking at one before plopping it in his mouth, taking his time to chew the crunchy fruit before swallowing. The sultan was more diligent with his food, a great contrast to how he was at the first banquet. This time he was just tired but was still able to keep his pride up.

"And it shows how much he truly cares about this kingdom," The sultan added after finishing a couple of the grapes. "He'll be a very great ruler soon since I fear my reign is coming to an end in due time-" The sultan coughed afterwards but drank the tea to clear his throat.

"I see . . ." Ciel trailed, the sultan didn't seem to be showing signs of sickness beforehand but seeing him in this somnolent state seemed to be enough proof. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"No, no." The sultan shook his head, resting his head back on the pillow and staring up dazedly at the canopy surrounding him. Patterns of stars were stitched on the midnight blue fabric, having a dimmed silver shimmer to them while in the center was a crescent moon. "All I want is to leave behind a great legacy and allow my sons to follow in my footsteps . . .and then I can die with no regrets and be reunited with my wife." The sultan closed his tired eyes, inhaling soundlessly as he reminisced on a particular memory.

" . . .I take that back, there is one regret," The sultan drew his eyes open; they were squinted as he trailed his hand upward, tracing his slim, shaky fingers onto one of the stars then another. "But I guess it can't be help anymore . . .I did the best that I could, but it wasn't enough . . ." The sultan was caught in his own thoughts, mumbling to himself while Ciel stood bewildered, only centimeters from the hallway. He figured it was time for him to leave but then the sultan remembered that he was still there.

"My apologizes, dear . . . just thinking back on an old memory that continuously comes back to haunt me. I'm sure such a young and noble girl like you has nothing to be ashamed about, you're living a luxurious life and will be married soon." The sultan praised a bit too highly, his grim expression now one of joy as he smiled brightly at Ciel.

The boy frowned on the other hand, disagreeing with the sultan. Even if he really were of noble blood, his life still wouldn't be perfect._ No one's_ life was perfect. Sebastian's fake explanation about his alias' past wasn't exactly pleasant; he was taken away from his parents just like in reality.

"No, it's not all that great." Ciel muttered, leaving his back to the sultan and taking a firm grip on the doorknob. His hand was shaking tremendously as he was reminded of his past; how quickly he was taken from the warm comfort of his parents while hearing the screams of horrific slaughter all around him. Blood had splattered on his face but it wasn't his parents', he saw them escape from the massacre that was happening before he saw his parents disappear, he finally let loose a desperate cry as he clutched his father's ring.

The blurred images of his parents vanished and Ciel was faced with the mahogany door in front of him. He glanced down at the ring on his thumb; the blue diamond produced a faint, azure glow, catching some of the sun's light in its glassy chamber. Ciel left the room without saying anything else.

x~x~x~x~x

For the entire day, Ciel practically worked his ass off to get as much done on the list as possible. When it became late at night, Ciel was about to go to bed-The ringing of a small bell cut the boy off from his thoughts. He looked around, searching for where the sound was coming from. The sound was simple but then started to get annoying when the once soft tune started to get louder. Ciel raced towards the noise, wondering if Finny was the cause of it, and if so, then he'd be the next one to pull out the weeds under the godforsaken sun.

But instead of Finny, Ciel found himself standing in front of Claude's bedchamber. Entering the room, he found the younger prince siting on top of his bed, holding the bell but then placing it down on his nightstand.

"It took you a while to get here." Claude criticized once Ciel entered the room. "If you were really loyal, you would've been here in seconds."

"What do you want?" Ciel asked, pissed that Claude pretty much compared him to a dog but wasn't going to get farther into that. He just wanted to go to bed as soon as this was over; he was far too exhausted to start an argument.

"I've noticed that you haven't organized this room properly," Claude exclaimed, gesturing to the seemingly perfect room. "The books in the bookshelves are not in alphabetical order and some of them are missing. The bed sheets haven't been changed. The windows have some dust on them—"

"I just do it tomorrow-" Ciel cut him off, but Claude wasn't satisfied with that proclamation. He stood up from his bed and walked towards Ciel while the boy stepped back.

"Are you disobeying me?" Claude inquired quietly, his vacant stare intensifying on the boy who glared up at him.

"It's late at night and I should be heading to bed now. I'll do it tomorrow, I promise." Ciel repeated. "Also you should give me a break, at least Sebastian—"

Before the boy could finish, he was slammed into the wall, overwhelmed by Claude's strength that came out of nowhere. Claude seized his throat, forcing the boy to gasp for air as he squeezed.

"Is Sebastian here?" Claude asked, keeping his tone calm and his face expressionless as he kept a firm hold. Ciel struggled to speak so Claude finished for him as he leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"No, he's not. So don't mention or even say his name again. You're _my_ servant now so you'll have to follow _my_ orders. Unless, of course," With his other hand, Claude drew out a knife that was hidden in his pocket. He struck the blade just inches away from Ciel's face, slicing off a few strands of hair. "you want to face dire consequences. My brother never told you what happens to servants who don't obey orders from their masters. Of course he didn't, because he's becoming a bit too soft. But I'm sure you have an idea." Claude demonstrated by aiming the tip of the blade right in between the boy's frightened eyes, he was just itching to plunge the blade right into his skull but Claude refrained, at least for now. Claude released his grip, dropping the boy to the floor where he was coughing roughly.

"You should get back to work now." Claude confirmed with a devilish smirk.


	14. Chapter 14

It had been one month since Sebastian left, but to Ciel, it felt longer. The boy was sent back to his old, damp cell of a room, forbidden by Claude to sleep in Sebastian's bed. The sultan was getting worse with each passing day, refusing to leave his own chamber but every once in a while wondered about the courtyard or talked with the servants and Claude. He also mentioned Sebastian, wondering when he would be back, but Claude just simply smiled and assured that his brother would be back any time.

Ever since Sebastian left, Claude took great advantage over Ciel, threatening him if he didn't do what he was told and usually hit him if he did something wrong. Most of the prince's orders were mainly for his personal needs, like sewing clothes from scratch, preparing meals and serving them to his chamber at specific times, looking after his spiders and feeding them insects—a few spiders almost bit him—and other tasks.

At the end of each day, Ciel went back to his room with exhaustion weighing down on him. He dragged his feet across the cold stone floor and came up to the wall with the many hastily drawn lines, marking all the days he had left to spend here. He crossed out one more but didn't count how much time he had left. It was still going to be a long time until his sentence was fulfilled.

Ciel rested his head against the wall, far too tired to do anything at the moment. The cold, damp texture of the wall was a soothing sensation against his bruised cheek. Claude had slapped it excruciatingly hard when Ciel accidently tore a sleeve while sewing. He had also received many other bruises that defiled his trembling body. Ciel's eyelids were dropping as he sunk into a fetal position, his eyes finally closing as he willingly submitted to sleep.

The door slipped open but Ciel couldn't acknowledge any sound as he drifted. Ali—now one month old and almost healed of the spider bite—had stumbled into the room quietly and came up to the sleeping boy. The cub tilted his head to the side, perplexed by the greenish-purple marks around the boy's body.

He poked his nose against one of the marks on Ciel's hand and the boy subconsciously flinched, alerting the cub to jump back. Ali mewed faintly and licked the bruise with caution. Ciel didn't flinch this time; he slept while Ali eventually got tired and joined him. The cub curled his body against Ciel's, providing him warmth in the cold cell.

_x~x~x~x~x_

_An illuminating beam shot down from a darkened sky, enveloping Ciel in a halo of light. He surveyed his surroundings, finding himself standing on top of a sand dune. The sand around him was sparkling like tiny diamonds in a mixture of silver and ivory. He traveled down the dune with the light following him, accompanying his way across the dark wasteland._

_He spotted another stream of light nearby and headed towards it, wondering who else was here. The sand became steeper and his movements slowed when he got closer. His legs started to sink in the sand so Ciel had to pull each one out as he walked._

_The beam was divided to several others, revealing men riding on camels that were packed with supplies. Amongst the men was Sebastian who was surrounded by the others; Ciel figured that they were all bodyguards. There were at least five of them._

_Ciel looked at Sebastian, who was staring out in a different direction, unaware of Ciel's presence. The boy decided to call his name several times but Sebastian couldn't hear him. Ciel got slightly annoyed and started running up to him, but the sand was pulling him back, taking hold of the boy's mobility._

_Suddenly the sound of galloping echoed through the darkness. A stream of red light spilled onto a group of figures, cloaked in gray robes as they rode on black stallions. Each rider sparked the other group's attention as they yelled. They charged with their machetes raised in the air, the blades gleaming brightly in the deep red glow._

_Sebastian's group was ready to attack as they drew out their own swords, but they were outnumbered, though they didn't care as they charged. Blood was spilled swiftly from both sides, followed by bodies as they fell to the ground. A bodyguard cried for Sebastian to go before he was slaughtered as well. Sebastian nodded but then took a moment to see his subjects fall before him one by one. The prince narrowed his eyes and decided to come at the ambushers. His camel, which was desperately trying to leave, was forced to turn around as Sebastian faced the enemy._

_"What are you doing!?" Ciel yelled, trying to run but his legs were firmly buckled underneath him. "Don't be an idiot! Run!" _

_Sebastian couldn't hear the boy's cries as he fought. He effortlessly killed a majority of them, but then he was knocked off of his camel. The prince rolled over when his camel followed tow, slamming hard onto the sand._

_There were only two of them left. One of them pinned Sebastian down while the other stood over the prince, aiming his machete at his chest._

_"Sebastian!" Ciel yelled, the ground became quicksand, yanking him down like hands driving him away, but the boy mustered all his strength to break free. He ripped himself from the sand's hold, clawing his way out of the grip as he continuously yelled the prince's name._

_The person hovering over Sebastian said something that Ciel couldn't hear. He was whispering, smiling as he talked. The boy couldn't see the entity of his face since it was hidden behind a hood._

_Sebastian stayed calm as he was pinned, watching the blade cautiously as well as the person talking to him. He could see his face but didn't recognize him. The prince's eyes narrowed, retorting something back that made the latter laugh—responding in a mocking gesture as he shrugged. He was amused somehow and was agreeing with whatever Sebastian was saying. Ciel couldn't hear them and Sebastian couldn't hear the boy as he kept calling his name._

_The ground was breaking off and Ciel found himself on the brink of falling. Ciel stretched out his arm as the light surrounding him started to dim as well as the light around Sebastian and the blade. The blade plunged downward as Ciel screamed Sebastian's name, but the lights flickered off._

Ciel jerked himself awake, scaring Ali who scurried off in fright. His arm was still outstretched, reaching at the window next to him. It was still the middle of the night but Ciel couldn't fall back to sleep. Too many thoughts were rushing through his head but only one thing stuck to him: he needed to get out of here and look for Sebastian. He didn't know if that dream actually occurred or if it was going to happen, but Ciel had to find out.

Ciel tiptoed to the kitchen, packing some food in a bag and swinging it over his shoulder. He wondered around the palace as inaudibly as he could, but his escapade was halted when an observer approached from the shadows.

The boy nearly had a heart attack, but seeing that it was only Tanaka, he sighed in relief. The old and wise servant stood where he was at the corner of a hallway, smiling sympathetically at the boy.

"What are you doing up this late, Ciel?" Tanaka asked, curious but then noticed all of the bruises that ruined the boy's delicate frame. His smile dropped. "Prince Claude did this to you, didn't he?"

Ciel was quiet so he only responded with a small nod, lowering his gaze to the marble floor. He rubbed a hand on a bruise on his aching shoulder. His entire body was throbbing from the pain, but that wasn't stopping him from leaving.

"I'm terribly sorry . . .but please don't go because—"

"I'm not his servant." Ciel stated immediately, referring to Claude but refusing to mention his name. "Also I have to go." Ciel turned his back on Tanaka, but the servant continued on.

"You want to find prince Sebastian, don't you?" Tanaka guessed.

Ciel paused, turning back to Tanaka who's smile grew a bit, knowing full well that it was true by the flush on the boy's cheek.

"It's dangerous to leave, you know." Tanaka stated, emphasizing his concern for the boy, treating him like a grandson even though they didn't talk much, but Ciel probably respected him more than any of the other servants since he wasn't annoying and didn't ruin everything all the time.

"Yeah . . ." Ciel nodded, trying not to think about Claude and what he would do to him when he found out, or if he already found out. "Just cover for me, I'll try not to be gone for too long."

"But—"

"Please." Ciel uttered a word that he hadn't said since he was young, so he was surprised that he even remembered that word. Nonetheless he was serious about this and Tanaka could see it in his restless eyes. Tanaka took a moment to stare wordlessly at the boy before sighing softly.

"All right . . ." Tanaka closed his eyes, understanding how much this meant for the boy but was still concerned. "The entire palace is blocked by guards, but there's a secret passageway underneath the palace, the passageway is like a maze, it branches out to many different directions to confuse intruders. But at the end of one of the tunnels is a door that can only be open with a specific key that only the royal family and subjects know about. The door leads to the basement of one of the houses in the city, but the only way out is through one of the floorboards so it's rather tricky to get out." Tanaka explained, uneasy about the boy's consideration but couldn't argue with him any longer. There was nothing to drive Ciel out of this, so the servant had no choice but to help him and pray that he'd be all right in the end and won't get caught.

Tanaka took Ciel down to the lowest quarters of the palace. They traveled down a long, spiraling staircase, which took a while to get through. Torches were restrained against the walls, giving off an eerie reddish-yellow glow, but they weren't enough to heat up the freezing chambers that the duo came across. Tanaka picked up one of the torches and handed it to Ciel as he entered one chamber.

Mice scurried around the place, squeaking as they rushed into holes in the cracked walls. Ciel avoided stepping on one as he followed Tanaka, who was searching for the hidden door. They came across another flight of stairs but Tanaka stopped midway, in result, almost bumping into Ciel.

Tanaka bent down, sticking his hand underneath one of the steps. His hand wandered around before clutching onto something. He pulled it out, revealing a small, wooden box. He opened the box, revealing a silver key with a detailed design of a cobra crafted around it.

Tanaka handed Ciel the key, fastening the significant artifact around his fingers securely before moving on. He didn't say anything as they roamed deeper through the dim-lit corridors. A shiver crawled up Ciel's spine when he saw skeletons chained to the walls and others trapped in cells. They had entered the dungeon but Tanaka didn't mention it. He quickened his pace and beckoned Ciel to do the same.

At the end of one of the many corridors, there was a locked door with a keyhole that matched the key Ciel held. Ciel unlocked the door, revealing a narrow tunnel that trailed on and on through the darkness.

"This is the secret passageway, it's just like a maze so it'll take you a while to get to the other side."

"How will I know which way to go?" Ciel asked, peeking into the tunnel and positioning his torch forward to see clearly. Spiders were hanging from the cavern entrance, slipping downward with the support of their sticky threads. Ciel brushed one away that was getting too close to him.

"The main thing is to keep going right, but a few times you have to turn left, especially near the end. There's somewhat of a pattern to it and it takes a while to get used to, but by the end you'll see a door similar to this one and it'll take you to the basement."

"Alright," Ciel took in a breath, clutching the torch firmly as well as the key. He took a step forward, his bare feet sinking into cool, brown dirt.

"Please be careful." Tanaka placed a hand on Ciel's shoulder, patting it passively before withdrawing.

"I will." Ciel nodded, moving his feet steadily with the torch as his guide. But then the boy stopped before going any further. He looked over his shoulder to see Tanaka still standing at the entrance. The boy couldn't help but mumble a small "Thank you", in result, bringing a few tears to the old servant's eyes.

In just a span of less than an hour, Ciel said three words that he would never have imagine saying again. Please and thank you. It was rather awkward for him, especially when saying them. He had almost forgotten what those words even sounded like. It was like trying to smile, he had forgotten how to do it, but it was hidden in his mind somewhere.

Ciel started down the tunnel, stepping cautiously incase there was something that was going to jump out and attack, like snakes or scorpions. But the only thing that lingered in those tunnels were harmless spiders that scurried around the floors and walls, mindlessly making their webs with an indifference that some one was in their lair.

Ciel wandered deeper in, not knowing how long it had been since he had entered. It had probably been several minutes already, or maybe at least an hour. He was told to turn right multiple times and he did, but then he was blocked off by a dead end so he turned left. He came across a few dead ends already and was growing annoyed by it.

The boy decided to run through the tunnels now, yanking cobwebs off of him as they blocked his path. The flame within the torch blazed furiously as he ran, indulged in a frantic dance as Ciel hurried. This was taking far too long; Tanaka said that there was a pattern to this maze so Ciel had to think back and figure it out. Most of the turns were right and some were to the left.

The dead ends were in between those turns and he had to go around in a loop. In the end it was _turn right three times, dead end. Two more rights. Left, right._ This pattern was repeated at least five times, which made the maze huge due to its long, winding corridors.

It took a while to figure it all out, but finally Ciel made it to the door. It was almost camouflaged against the wall; the only thing that stood out was the rusted knob and the keyhole. Ciel ran the key in, opening the door and allowing more darkness to pour itself in. Holding the torch forward, he found himself in a small, empty basement with a low ceiling that Ciel was able to touch.

He pushed his hands up at the ceiling, touching around before he felt the loose floorboard. He pushed off the floorboard and was able to pull himself up. He was now on upper ground, inside of the sitting room of an abandoned house. The furniture was smothered in dust and was pushed to the side underneath broken windows. Glass shards where scattered everywhere so Ciel was careful as he surveyed the area, but not before pulling the floorboard back into its proper place.

The boy entered outside, welcomed bitterly by a chilly breeze that instantly blew out the torch's flame. The torch was now useless anyways, so Ciel just carelessly tossed it off at the back of the house. Still clutching the key in his hand, he wandered off through the quiet neighborhood where he was the only wander, or so it seemed.

Suddenly, a surprised voice popped up from behind the boy, followed by a pair of arms squishing him in a tight embrace. The person soon let go before Ciel's spine could crack.

"It's great to see you, Smile! How long has it been? Two years? Where have you been all this time?"

Ciel's eyes widened, finally recognizing the voice and turning around to see a girl wearing the clothes of a tomboy. A messed up turban was hanging off the left side of her face but she didn't seem to mind. She had a bright smile, overly excited to see 'Smile' again while the boy was struck speechless.

"Freckles?"

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**A/N: **So Freckles/Doll from the manga has appeared and yes, the other characters from the circus arc will also appear next chap, which means we'll learn a bit more about Ciel's past, but I'm sure you all are more concern about Sebastian and what the hell was going on with that dream. Hehehe~ I'm not saying anything~ Please review :D


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: **Today's my birthday so here's a chap for you all! :D Last chap didn't receive that much love, so i'm hoping this one doesn't get the same treatment since I would like to get up to 200 reviews soon~

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"Of course it's me, Smile! It hasn't been _that_ long." Freckles shouted. She took Ciel's elbow and dragged him along. "C'mon, lets meet up with the others, then you'll tell us everything."

"W—wait." Ciel attempted at pulling away, he didn't want to see the others and this certainly wasn't the best time either. He had to do his search as quickly as possible without wasting any time.

The two soon came across an old warehouse not too far from the one Ciel was at. Doll pushed the creaky door open and yanked Ciel in while exclaiming: "Look who I found! It's Smile!"

"Smile!?" A group of young teens exclaimed in unison, turning to the boy in shock. There were seated around the dusty hardwood floor, sharing fruit with another, but some of them had dropped their share at the surprise notice. An apple fell and rolled away but everyone was too distracted to care. There was a long trail of silence as Ciel stared uneasily at his former companions, wanting to make a quick escape. But, as soon as he had stepped away, he was clustered around, hugged and almost toppled over. The commotion stopped when the leader, Joker, settled everyone down and came up to the boy.

"It's great to see you again, Smile." Joker ruffled Ciel's hair but the boy withdrew from the touch. Joker frowned slightly and sighed, bringing the boy over to sit with them as they returned to their circle.

"So what have you been up to all this time?" Joker asked eagerly, handing Ciel a pear but the boy refused, despite the fact that he was rather hungry.

"Nothing." Ciel muttered.

Joker laughed, shaking his head and wiping a tear from his eye. "You couldn't have been doing 'nothing' for all this time. So what have—"

"Hey, what happened to you?" Wendy piped in, poking one of the bruises on Ciel's arm. Ciel flinched and scooted away.

"Were you in a fight?" Peter asked excitedly.

"No - " Ciel started.

"Then what?" Peter gently pushed Joker aside so he could listen to Ciel's story. Ciel sighed; everyone was waiting eagerly and each person was driven to know. They haven't seen their companion in two years, so the anxiousness rose when the boy opened his mouth to fill them in.

"It wasn't a fight . . ." Ciel rubbed around his ribcage where he received the most bruises, resulting in the most pain that, whenever Claude hit him there, he swore his ribs were breaking. "I was beaten . . . a month ago I became a servant for one of the princes because I got caught stealing."

The group turned to one another, their eyes bulging. Not one person knew what to say as they stared in awe. The only person who didn't seem that shocked was Beast, who lounged against her tiger as it licked its paw. Beast carried around a long reed that she used, stretching out the twigs lazily as she spoke in monotone. "That's what happens when you leave us, you get yourself captured and become a slave. What happened to the sly little thief that we once knew?"

Ciel paused and stared down at the floor; the wood was uncomfortable to his crossed legs and only made the tension worst. He closed his eyes and mumbled: "I guess he's gone."

"But you were able to escape!" Joker exclaimed. "You can return to us and redeem your reputation."

"No, I can't—"

"What do you mean _you can't_? Do you _want_ to be captured again? We saved your life once, and we'll do it again because we're a family -"

Ciel laughed before Joker could finish. The boy barely ever laughed but this one was cold and bitter. "Do you even know _why_ I left? You all wanted to travel around the desert to find a treasure that doesn't even exist, while we are already in a kingdom where there's a palace not too far loaded with riches."

"Like this," Peter swiftly snatched the key out of Ciel's grasps, waving it around for all to see.

"Hey!" Ciel lashed at the younger boy who jumped up and retreated to another area of the warehouse while laughing.

"Oh? So you escaped with that?" Joker guessed. "Let me see it, Peter."

Before Ciel could ram Peter over, the boy tossed the key overhead before it landed in the thief leader's hand. Joker examined the key intrigued, the glint in his eyes showing confirmation of his amusement.

"This is certainly from the palace...how is it that you didn't bring back any other riches?"

"I didn't have time, I was escaping." Ciel remarked.

"And I assume that this is the only object you had time to get your hands on? Joker flipped the key around his fingers, careful not to drop it.

"Yeah."

Joker's smile widened and the glint in his eyes turned to sparkles of anticipation. "So this is the key to get into the palace then? Well, most likely not the front gate...but another way, right?"

"Give the key back to me." Ciel demanded, throwing his arm out to grab it, but Joker tossed the key over to Snake, who was sitting next to a basket filled with cobras. Ciel ran up to Snake but the quiet teen handed the key to one of his cobras. The cobra snapped its jaws between the key, holding it tight within it's fangs.

"You have to tell us first." Joker remarked slyly with a chuckle. "It seems like you're hiding something from us, so you better explain now."

Ciel paused, clenching his hands into fists as he glared down at the cobra who was cranking its head from side to side, as if mocking the boy as it held the key captive. If Ciel tried to grab it, any of the other cobras might bit him and he definitely didn't want to take the chance of receiving more injuries.

"Yes . . ." Ciel sighed, refusing to look at anyone as he exclaimed. "There's a secret passageway in the palace that I went through to escape and I used that key to do so. But the passageway is hard to get across, it's like a huge maze, there's a pattern to it but I've forgotten it now."

"Interesting, can you tell us where this passageway is?" Joker asked.

This time Ciel hesitated; he really didn't want to tell them anything and knew he had to stop when he revealed the secret about the passageway.

"If you tell us, we'll let you have a large majority of the spoils when we rob the place." Joker promised, but Ciel wasn't satisfied. He kept quiet, refusing to talk.

"Or, if you tell us . . ." Joker continued, figuring that Ciel wasn't going to comply to them so easily. "I'll promote you to become my heir to our group of bandits, you'll be a leader and I'll allow you to direct us to that treasure we've been looking for - "

"I don't care about that anymore!" Ciel retorted. "I'm not going to search mindlessly for something that probably doesn't even exist. How long have you guys been searching? Do you have any evidence besides dumb tales that you've heard?"

"But our father told us." Joker exclaimed, referring to the nobleman who happened to adopt the group of bandits. The nobleman, Baron Kelvin, was a greedy man who wanted to find Noah's ark. So, he rounded up a group of energetic children to help him find it, along with giving him all the riches they could steal, because apparently the baron didn't have enough. On the other hand, Ciel didn't want to search for a relic that most likely didn't exist anymore. Baron Kelvin had told them that the ark was either buried underground within the sand, or is hidden high in the mountains of some distant land. It was the Noah's ark bandit's main goal, but Ciel didn't want to be a part of it. He just wanted to steal for the sake of stealing while the others stole for their 'father' and trained to steal the actual ark. Ciel only met the baron once and the boy never was fond of him.

The old nobleman always gave him creepy looks and smiled at him in an unease way. Ciel was fine with working with the group until he discovered that they were working with the baron. It didn't make sense since the baron was already filthy rich, but he yearned for more and wanted the ark. Ciel thought the search was meaningless, especially since they were doing this for their 'father.' There didn't seem to be a point so Ciel left.

"Do you believe everything that _father _says?" Ciel asked.

"Of course." Joker immediately answered. "Why wouldn't we?"

"Because he could be lying to you." Ciel exclaimed

Shouts of "Father never lies!" and "No he wouldn't!" erupted in the room, but Ciel simply ignored the cries. He knew that he was right and they were all wrong, so there was no need to listen, but then Joker grabbed Ciel by the shoulders as he tried not to be hostile.

"Smile, you must've had a rough time back at the palace, why don't you sit down with us and relax for a bit?" Joker suggested in a calm tone.

"Fine." Ciel reluctantly sat back down, eyeing the door for a split second then turning back to the group. The members were glad that Ciel was back but they certainly didn't agree with his opinion on their goals. A majority of them were glaring slightly at Ciel but didn't find the need to argue anymore, it wasn't going to get anywhere.

Doll sat next to Ciel while Wendy and Peter sat somewhere else. Doll pulled in a bucket filled with cold water. She soaked one half of a towel and wrapped it in a small ball. She took Ciel's arm before dabbing the towel onto one of the bruises gently. Ciel flinched at the sudden touch, but then relaxed. The chilly water was comforting and Doll was being extra cautious while treating the injuries.

"How do you feel now, Smile?" Doll asked, applying the towel to the side of Ciel's head. Claude had hit him so hard that he was knocked to the ground, almost getting a concussion.

"Alright . . ."

"You really should come back to us," Doll whispered, pulling away a few strands of hair to get a better look of the bruise; it was one of the larger ones. "We've all worried about you ever since you left, and now look what happened."

Ciel stayed quiet as Doll continued. She was quiet as well but every once in a while she took note of some of the bruises, asking about them, but Ciel refused to say anything else. When Doll was done, she draped the towel over the bucket and put it to the side. Everyone was settling down for bed. Their sleeping conditions weren't much better than what Sebastian had orriginally offered Ciel, so naturally, as the boy and his old friends lay down on the old warehouse floor with only the little warmth of dirty blankets to shelter them, he began to miss being with the prince in that extravagant bed.

Ciel pretended to fall asleep, but after several minutes he got up and wondered out of the warehouse, but not before stealing some supplies like extra food and medicine. He walked around until he found the bandit's camels clustered together as they slept. He placed the supplies in a basket that was strapped to one of the camels. He patted it awake and hopped on its back as he ordered it to get up. The camel yawned and shook its head, annoyed that it was woken up but nevertheless started to walk.

"Smile?"

Ciel looked over his shoulder to see Doll standing at the doorway. The two stared at each other in silence; Ciel tightened his grip on the rein, with a tinge of guilt as he observed the longing in Doll's eyes. Doll was the closest to a friend that Ciel ever had when he was with their group, but he couldn't be with them any longer. He wasn't going to be treated like a puppet.

Ciel snapped the rein overhead and kicked the camel to the side, ordering it to take off. The camel obliged and trotted, leaving a speechless Doll at the doorway.

x~x~x~x~x

Early the next morning, Claude rang the small silver bell to get Ciel's attention. When the boy didn't arrive at his chamber, the prince rang the bell a second time, but the boy still didn't come. Several minutes passed and Claude's patience was as thin as a strand of hair. He marched out of the room, storming down the corridor to Ciel's room. He was about to throw the door open until a hand halted his action as it clasped his shoulder.

"Ciel is resting right now." It was Tanaka; his demeanor was composed and calm as usual as he successfully stopped the prince. "Please give Ciel a day off, he's rather sick today and it's best if he recovers instead of being stressed out anymore."

Claude glared coldly at Tanaka from the corner of his eye, but then he smiled and restrained himself. He would let this go, for now. He figured that he might as well let the boy rest since he didn't want to break him so easily, since he was rather fragile.

"Alright." Claude shrugged before leaving the hall while Tanaka sighed inwardly in relief.

x~x~x~x~x

"So he left and stole _my _camel?" Dagger groaned, pulling at his hair but then he paused when an idea popped into his head. He smiled at Beast as it formed. "I'll get to ride with sister then!"

"No." Beast muttered and turned to Joker. "So should we go after him? He didn't just steal a camel, but he took a lot of our supplies."

"Just let him be for now." Joker murmured, opening up his palm for the cobra to drop the key into. "We have more important business to take care of."

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**A/N:** Yup. . .Noah's ark, 'cause searching for a lamp or a rare, precious jewel hidden in a cave filled with traps got too boring :P Please review~


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:** Bit of an early update, luckily I didn't have that much work this weekend so I was able to work on this~ However, this is a fairly short chap due to the twist at the end. I would've continued afterwards, but I enjoy leaving cliff hangers~

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Ciel tossed a handful of water at his face, cooling himself temporarily from the morning sun that was glaring down on him. He placed the canteen back in his bag, saving the rest of the water for later. It was nearly noon and Ciel didn't find anything in this endless sea of sand. During this time the sun was slamming Ciel with its unbearable heat while Ciel tried to dealt with it. After all, he spent several years out in the desert traveling around with Joker and his group, so he was somewhat used to it.

The boy needed to find a place to rest though, so he searched around the barren area mindlessly for several minutes. Ciel wiped off sweat from his brow, flicking the beads off his fingertips as he returned his hand to the rein of the camel. The camel was unaffected by the heat as it trotted on, snorting in the dry air and glancing around curiously for no specific reason as it headed to an unknown destination.

"Damn it all, where are you?" Ciel muttered under his breath, agitated by the immense heat of the sun pounding on his back and wondering exactly why he had gone to search for Sebastian. That dream could've been just a dream and didn't mean anything. Heck, maybe Sebastian had just returned when Ciel left. If that was the case, Ciel could have returned, but he didn't.

He was already far into the desert now so just going back would be pointless, but staying here might be the same. Ciel stopped his camel, standing in the midst of the isolated landscape, trapped in his thoughts and wondering what the hell he was doing.

A strong, hot wind blew in his face, making him lose his train of thought. He blinked a few times, adjusting back into reality and realizing he hadn't moved in the past several minutes. Ciel snapped the rein, ordering his camel to keep moving as they continued onward.

x~x~x~x~x

"So Ciel left to look for prince Sebastian?" Finny stated as the servants were clustered around the kitchen counter, sharing a loaf of bread as they listened to what Tanaka had to say.

"Yes, so we have to make sure that prince Claude and the sultan don't find out." Tanaka informed, receiving nods from the servants.

"Alright. . .how do we do that?" Meyrin asked.

"I've told prince Claude that Ciel's sick and needed time to recover in his room. So you three must not make the royal family suspicious; we don't want to get in any trouble." Tanaka stated.

"Right." The three nodded once more and then returned back to work, keeping their mouths shut so they didn't blurt out anything. The servants were completely honest and understanding and would do anything to help their newfound friend, even if they have to cover for him while being around the prince and sultan.

Tanaka then checked to see how the tigers were doing afterwards, but didn't find them in their room. Instead, they were in Sebastian's room, settled on the bed comfortably. Sabirah occupied both pillows, nuzzling her head in the soft fabric. Anya was hidden somewhere in the covers, trying to find her way back to the surface while bumping into her siblings, who were trying to sleep.

Kalila jumped up in alert and pounced on Anya who scurried off, able to get out of the covers to take revenge on her sister. The two rolled across the bed, bumping into Luna who almost toppled off the bed. Luna yelped, trying to formulate a growl in protest but it only came out squeaky. She was too tired to jump on them so she crawled away and came across Ali who was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring out of the window with a longing look.

Luna tapped Ali on the head with her paw, getting her little brother's attention. Ali mewed in response and Luna tapped him on the head again. Ali blinked, not knowing what his oldest sister was implying. He gestured back to the window but then noticed Tanaka at the doorway. The old servant smiled at the cubs before leaving them be.

x~x~x~x~x

Another hour dragged on and the landscape changed from a sea of sand to rough, dry ground—the possible remnants of a dried up river. Ciel searched for shelter but there was nothing as far as he could see. He was entirely exhausted, deprived of sleep and wanted desperately to just close his eyes.

His eyelids grew heavy and his head rocked from side to side. His lidded eyes looked into the distance, seeing nothing but the crusty, cracked fissures. The boy was about to drift until something caught his full attention. His head shot up and eyes widened. A surge of adrenaline rushed through him and he flung himself off of his camel.

"Sebastian!" Ciel shouted, unable to catch his breath as he rushed towards the prince. Sebastian was on the ground, his face smeared with fresh blood and eyes closed. Ciel halted as he stood before the prince, a newfound fear crawling up his skin. _I can't be too late . . ._

Ciel got down on his knees, checking Sebastian's pulse and finding it faintly. Ciel sighed, his speedy heartbeat slowing at the realization that Sebastian was still alive, but he had to find him shelter fast.

Despite being much smaller than the prince, Ciel heaved Sebastian on his back and dragged him back over to his camel. Sebastian wasn't as heavy as Ciel thought he would be, but it was still uncomfortable carrying a man twice as big as he was. Ciel commanded his camel to sit down while he struggled to lay Sebastian onto the saddle. While finally managing to get the prince situated without the concern of him falling off, Ciel took the rein and walked alongside his camel, but did so at a quickened pace. Soon enough they were able to take refuge in a small, but sustainable cave at the edge of the dried up river.

After struggling again to get Sebastian off the camel, the boy dragged the latter into the cave and laid him down on the cool, flat surface far from the opening so that the sun didn't intrude. Ciel retrieved all of the supplies, bringing them over to Sebastian's side and examining the wound closely on the prince's face.

There was a long, deep cut across his eyes that was spilling blood across the prince's cheeks. Ciel wet a small cloth with water and cleaned off the wound carefully, being reminded of how Doll stopped the aching from the bruises, but then reminisced back to when he accidently stabbed his hand and Sebastian wrapped a bandage around it. Now Ciel was the one aiding Sebastian.

When Ciel was done, he kept close watch on the prince, waiting for him to wake up. The boy checked outside, but the sun was still glaring and was leaving trails of its heated rays through small holes in the low cavern ceiling.

Ciel looked back over at Sebastian's still form, contemplating if there was anything else he needed to do. He returned to dabbing his face again, making sure he got rid of all traces of blood. As Ciel was finishing up this task, he had a sense of comfort and relief, like he was grateful for finding the prince. He didn't want to admit it, but he was getting a bit worried that he wasn't going to find him, he had time to breathe and rest at last.

Ciel leaned back against the cavern wall, settling down before he felt comfortable. His hand searched a bit before touching Sebastian's and subconsciously he curled his hand around the latter's before drifting off.

They stayed that way for about an hour, afterwards Sebastian's fingers twitched slightly and he started to stir. His hand tightened around the boy's smaller one, recognizing the touch of the soft, delicate skin. His fingers brushed past a bruise but Ciel barely reacted to it.

"Ciel?"

Ciel's eyes cracked open gradually at the sound of Sebastian's quiet, strained voice. Ciel positioned himself more comfortably before speaking, drowsiness evident in his tone. He was too tired to speak so he responded with a gentle squeeze from the hand, a recognition that he was there.

"What are you doing here? And why is it so dark?" Sebastian added

"What?" Ciel frowned slightly; the boy could definitely understand why Sebastian would ask why he was here, but he wasn't sure why the prince had asked the second question. The sun's light was showering down from above through the holes in the ceiling, not to mention the entrance, where a burst of sunlight shoved in, but the two were at the far corner where that heat couldn't reach them.

"It's not dark in here, what are you talking about?" Ciel asked.

Sebastian sat up and turned his head in the boy's general direction. It took a moment, but when Ciel realized it, he didn't know whether to gasp, say something to let Sebastian know, or even speak at all. His breath was caught in his throat and he forgot how to retrieve it. Those mesmerizing red irises were gone and were replaced by a pair of blurred, milky white orbs with remnants of red from the wound.

Sebastian was blind.

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**A/N: **Originally Claude was going to stab Ciel in the eye, but that would've been a bit predictable since it's common for Ciel to get his eye injured somehow, so I decided to torture Sebastian this time, 'cause that barely ever happens since Ciel is usually the one in danger-but Ciel will still get his fair share of torture here nonetheless, but no eye injury for him. So what do you guys think of this twist? Since Sebastian's now blind, Ciel will have to take care of him~


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** I apologize for another short chap, but this one has fluff :D I'm sure you all have missed the fluff~

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Ciel watched wordlessly as Sebastian staggered to his feet, his legs weak beneath him. He took a cautious step forward, as if walking for the first time. He stumbled and nearly slammed into a wall; he stretched out an arm, touching the wall and feeling the cool, rocky texture across his dry skin.

He indolently traced his hand across the wall, searching for an opening with the sensation of being trapped. Everything was dark but he felt the warmth of the sun, but he couldn't see its shine; he couldn't see anything.

Sebastian followed the warmth of the sun, clumsily heading outside with Ciel right behind him. The prince knew that he was outside now, but he was confused. Even though he had escaped the darkness of the cave, he couldn't see the sun. He couldn't see the sky. He couldn't see Ciel who was beside him, not knowing what to say as he watch Sebastian blink several times, trying to adjust his eyes but there remained a dull sort of beauty in those eyes, but they still didn't shine like rubies. They were empty.

"What's going on? Where are we?" Sebastian asked, turning in Ciel's direction. The boy was too stunned to say anything, so he lead Sebastian back into the cave and the two sat down side by side against a wall. Ciel took in a long, shaky breath as he started to explain.

"I went looking for you . . .I had a dream that you were attacked and. . .it seems like I was too late."

Sebastian ran a hand across the now clean wound over his eyes. It stung but he felt the coolness of water relieving the pain. He tried to remember what happened: the ambush, the mysterious person taunting him, the slash of the sword, and then nothing. Finally realizing what happened to him, Sebastian stayed quiet, trying not to make a spectacle of his blindness. He simply composed himself while Ciel was still having difficulty doing so.

After Ciel found his voice, he asked softly, "Who were the people that attacked you?"

"I'm not sure, actually," Sebastian answered bluntly with a subtle shrug. "Perhaps bandits . . .enemies from another country, or from mine. I don't know, they're gone now, but they decided to keep me alive, or at least barely, since they didn't want me to die so quickly since it would've been too easy."

Ciel didn't know whether or not to look at Sebastian's eyes again, but it was just too hard to see him like this. The boy focused his gaze on the ground, clasping his hands together in a firm grip as a trail of silence dragged out between them. Ciel's hands quaked uncontrollably and he wasn't able to control himself as his breathing quickened and his heart pumped hard within his chest. He didn't know what to do as he and Sebastian sat hidden from the sun's light, the warmth eluding the duo and enveloping them in a shadow as dark as Sebastian was blind. But the prince could sense the boy's anxiousness.

Sebastian gently took Ciel into his embrace, his arms loose but comforting around the boy's small, fragile frame. His head rested on top of Ciel's as he began running a hand through the boy's hair and touching his face lightly, brushing strands apart and pulling them over. His fingers traced across the boy's soft skin, cupping his cheek and stroking it in small circles with his thumb.

Sebastian leaned down; accidentally bumping his nose into Ciel's, and Ciel scrunched his nose in slight annoyance, but knew it was a mistake. Sebastian kissed the boy's nose in apology, and then found his way to his lips. The kiss was similar to the kiss that Sebastian stole on the night before he left, but this time, Ciel didn't blush too much and felt at ease being in the prince's arms.

Ciel closed his eyes, settling deeper within the embrace. Sebastian placed a kiss on Ciel's temple before collapsing from exhaustion, while at the same time, keeping Ciel secure in his gentle hold. The boy opened his eyes, struggling somewhat to fall back to sleep.

He gazed up at Sebastian's calm, still face. How could he be so passive about this? Ciel was reacting much more as if he was the one who became blind, but Sebastian was keeping was calm. The prince wasn't going to let his pride slip from him despite his blindness. He was going to deal with it, but Ciel was still concerned.

Sebastian woke when Ciel tapped him, and the boy was now staring into his clouded eyes. Ciel raised a hand up in front of the prince's face, inches away from those bleak eyes. They were like a thick fog, blocking everything from view; it was like a mist that would never vanish, and Ciel found himself lost in it.

"Ciel?"

Sebastian's quiet voice cut Ciel out of his thoughts. Ciel broke contact from the prince's eyes and turned his gaze downward, unable to answer and feeling frozen in place.

"It's alright." Sebastian assured, but Ciel stayed quiet and didn't know what to say, but he knew that the prince wanted him to speak to know that he was still here with him.

Ciel opened his mouth but nothing came out; he struggled to formulate words and it only came choked up in his throat. So he just shook his head and rested himself back against the prince, mumbling, "It's not alright." But it was too incoherent to be heard.

Sebastian's fingers tangled with Ciel's hair, picking at the strands loosely as they were laced around his digits. He tilted his head down in the general direction of where Ciel was against him, providing comfort and acknowledgment that he was still here beside him, rather than just the darkness. The prince drifted back to sleep, his head nesting besides Ciel's.

The boy looked from the corner of his eye to see the prince, noting that he was now asleep. After several minutes in waiting to make sure that the prince was entirely asleep, Ciel slipped away from Sebastian's hold and departed back to the mouth of the cave. He needed time alone to think.

He assembled himself against the cavern entrance. His arms and legs were limp at his sides as his head gestured up at the clear, turquoise sky. Everything was still and quiet, like his mind, which was blank. He wanted to think but didn't know where to start. He was too shocked to comprehend everything that had just happened. Sebastian was blind, trapped and lost in nothingness for the rest of his life.

Ciel curled a hand into a fist and struck it against the ground, sending a throbbing pain up his arm, but he ignored it. The notion that everything was not going to be alright was the only thing that came to mind. After mulling over that, he had the urge to scream, scream and yell in a way that he never did before, just letting his anger out in a loud voice that would cut off the unbearable stillness of that empty desert. However, Ciel didn't. He just stayed still and quiet like the rest of the world at the moment.

"How do you know if it's going to be alright?" Ciel muttered bitterly, huddling his knees close to him, cradling his arms around him as they quivered, but only slightly. He didn't know what to do then, he didn't know if he should just stay here or go back.

Ciel focused his attention on the camel that he stole. It was just standing there, minding its own business as it racked its jaw around in boredom. The camel just looked so bored, but at least it wasn't dealing with any problems. The camel turned to look at Ciel idly, snorting in some of the dry air before turning its back to the boy. Ciel then took note of the baskets strapped on the camel. One had the supplies Ciel stole while the other was a mystery, so Ciel was curious to see what was inside.

He pulled the camel over by the reign, settling it down near the entrance. The boy opened up the basket, peering inside to see a bunch of stolen goods. There were clothes, jewels, maps, etc. but there was one thing that caught the boy's attention. There was a ney sticking out from a pile of scarfs, tilting awkwardly out of the basket. Ciel pulled out the reed instrument and brushed off the sand that was caught inside it.

He sat back down, resting back against the camel. He examined the ney, reminiscing back when Sebastian had order him to play it. It wasn't the best of memories, considering that Sebastian had a stomachache and had the look of wanting to lock the boy up for eternity for almost killing him. Ciel smirked slightly at the memory; it wasn't that long ago but somehow it felt like it. He wouldn't actually mind playing it again, after all it would help relax him like it did before.

Ciel placed the mouthpiece to his lips, ending the silence as he began playing. He softly blew as he tapped his fingers diligently against each hole, holding down a note to let the sound sweep away with the wind. The low whistles gradually intensified to high pitches then descended back down.

Ciel played random notes first, then proceeded to get into a pattern so that the music flowed smoothly. The penetrating heat of the sun didn't bother the boy as he played; instead, the heat felt nice as he was met with the soft melody calming his nerves. He played for a while, stopping a few times to take a breath and then resume once more. He played with a sort of passion that he didn't want to admit and felt a bit ashamed of, but for once he felt a sense of peace with each soft breath that was blown out from the reed instrument.

It was surreal that he felt this way after what had happened, but he wouldn't have felt this way if it wasn't for the fact that―looking from the corner of his eye and swiftly looking away from nervousness―Sebastian was standing at the entrance, holding on to the wall for support and listening to the boy's symphonic performance, bearing a small, simple smile. And if Ciel could, he would've smiled as well.

Perhaps everything will be alright. . .

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry again that it was short, originally I was gonna switch back to the servants but I wanted this chap to only focus on Sebastian and Ciel.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:** I'm so sorry for the long delay, but here's the new chap. Also, I can't stress this enough. . .I'm starting to really dislike it when my story gets un-alerted or un-followed, at least give me a good explanation why you did it, whenever I lose a follower it makes me start to dislike my fic and I've been working very hard on it, probably harder than any of my other fics, so I really don't want to lose interest in this nor do I want to lose anyone else's interest. I admit that this chap isn't that great, but it doesn't mean that the rest of the fic isn't. There's still a lot more to go so just give me a chance to finish it before you judge it.

* * *

"Oh, when are they going to get back?" Meyrin bit her thumb nervously as she constantly stared out of the window for several minutes, averting her eyes every so often in hopes to catch Ciel and Sebastian returning.

"Soon I hope," Finny replied, looking in Meyrin's direction in vain. "But we need to stay calm, we can't show any sign of worry around—"

"What are you two doing?"

Both servants squeaked and swirled around, immediately confronting Claude, who was staring at the servants and their questionable antics.

"We—we—we were—" Meyrin stuttered, avoiding direct eye contact from the cold prince. "Finny was helping me get this scratch off of the glass." The maid exclaimed, gesturing over to the window where she was now frantically wiping off a none existent speck upon the glass. "Now it's gone!" Meyrin hopped backward while Finny jumped in, peering at the window.

"Yes, it's gone!" Finny cheered, shooting his arms up unnecessarily while Claude was obviously not impressed.

"You two do realize you have more important jobs to do, correct?" Claude inquired, his tone tensing progressively with each word, having the last straw with the foolishness of the servants.

"Yes." Meyrin and Finny mumbled in unison, bowing their heads.

"So get to them, and also get Ciel out of his room, he's been in there for too long." Claude added.

"But he's sick!" Finny blurted out, squeaked slightly and lowering his voice, bowing his head once more. "Y—you shouldn't disturb him."

"I think he rested enough, it's almost night time and I want him to make me dinner." Claude retorted and turned his back on the servants as he rushed down the hall.

"Wait!" Finny called as he and Meyrin chased after Claude, but the prince ignored them as he continued on. When he finally got to Ciel's room, he threw the door open but didn't see the boy inside. Claude's grip on the door handle tightened as he looked over his shoulder at the servants, staring them straight in the eyes.

"Where is Ciel?"

Finny gulped, taking a quick glance at Meyrin and back to Claude. "The bathroom, maybe?"

Claude narrowed his eyes suspiciously, causing shivers to run down the servant's spines as they were caught in the prince's impassive glare.

"You two are hiding something, aren't you?" Claude inquired.

"No, no," Meyrin frantically shook her head and clasped her hands together pleadingly. "We swear, we don't know where Ciel is. We haven't seen him at all today so we really don't know."

Claude scoffed and turned his back on the servants. "Fine, return to your jobs then." The prince ordered before departing the hall, leaving the servants to exchange fearful looks.

x~x~x~x~x

"Were you able to do what you had to do?" Ciel asked Sebastian as they returned to the cave, sharing some fruit with each other.

"Yes, I was able to successfully make amends with the neighboring countries." Sebastian said softly.

"That's good, but . . ." Ciel trailed off, hesitant to say anything else but decided to continue anyways. "Will you be able to run your kingdom since you can't see anymore?"

"Of course I will," Sebastian frowned subtly at the comment. "If I'm not able to, than Claude will become sultan, and I can't let that happen."

"But. . ."

"It will be fine, don't worry about it. Besides, there's no way my father will allow Claude to be the next sultan."

Ciel gazed down at his half eaten apple and picked at the stem, plucking it off and flicking it away. "I guess you're right . . ."

"So how was it at the palace? Did you get everything done that you needed to?" Sebastian asked, switching to a different topic.

"Yeah. . ." Ciel mumbled; he managed to do all of the prince's chores as well as follow Claude's orders, which he despised more. At least Sebastian never hit him and didn't treat him like an animal. Ciel bit into his apple and chewing at the piece lightly, not caring too much for the taste since it tasted somewhat stale, but was still edible.

"And there's something else . . ." Ciel stared down at one of his faded bruises. He finally having the privilege to tell the prince what else happened " . . .Since you've been away, Claude took the opportunity to make me his servant so he ordered me around and he hit me whenever I messed up."

"What!?" Sebastian practically yelled, his voice bounced off the cavern sharply as his anger boiled. "I constantly told him not to do anything to you—"

"Well he took advantage of the fact that you were gone." Ciel replied a bit more quietly than the prince, who was about to snap with rage. "But other than giving me a few bruises, he didn't didn't do anything worse to me."

Sebastian gritted his teeth and shot up to his feet, accidently dropping his apple, which plummeted to the ground. But he didn't care. "We're going back. _Now_."

"But shouldn't you rest more?" Ciel suggested.

"I'm fine now. Lets go." Sebastian spoke sternly, avoiding any more continuation to this conversation as he started to head out but Ciel stopped him before he could walk into another wall. Ciel packed up their supplies in a basket, helped Sebastian get on the camel and in minutes they were heading back to the palace.

x~x~x~x~x

"Oh, dear!" Meyrin scurried into the kitchen and swiftly shut the door. Tanaka was sitting on a stool, sipping tea like always with an air of comfort circling him. But when he saw Meyrin's alarmed gestures, he frowned slightly.

"What's wrong?"

"Prince Claude is getting suspicious!" Meyrin shrieked but covered her mouth, worried that her voice might've been too high.

"Please calm down, Meyrin. Lets work this out without losing our heads." Tanaka responded calmly.

"I don't know if I can calm down!" Meyrin squeaked, her hands sweating tremendously as she rubbed them.

The kitchen door swung open and Meyrin almost yelped, but seeing that it was only Bard, she heaved in a great sigh of relief and placed a hand over her heart.

"Damn it, the prince was demanding where Ciel was so I had to tell him that Ciel was out in the market getting some supplies and won't be back for a few hours, just to buy the kid some time but I don't think this is going to work well."

"Lets just hope it does . . ." Tanaka remarked.

"Prince Claude also wanted Ciel to make dinner." Meyrin said timidly.

"Then we'll make dinner. And if Ciel doesn't come back in a few hours, we can distract Claude." Bard suggested.

"Alright, Bard prepare dinner, Meyrin set the table, Finny is working on the garden and I'll go see what Claude's doing." Tanaka suggested.

"Right!" Meyrin nodded and hurried out of the kitchen, racing into the dinning room to set up the table.

x~x~x~x~x

"It's done." Bard brushed invisible dust off his hands, smiling proudly at the large roasted chicken before him. There were many sides that went along with it like vegetables and soups, like he was serving for an entire party instead of just two people. He was quite fond of his work and went over to the dining room to see how the maid was doing.

Like Bard, Meyrin finished her job successfully as well. The table was adorned in a rich, golden cloth with pearly plates and utensils. Glass vases were presented on top of the table with freshly picked yellow roses in a regal display. Even though Meyrin was finished way before Bard, she was still standing in the dinning hall fiddling with her fingers nervously.

"I'm done cooking dinner. Now we need to get the prince and sultan in here." Bard announced, but just as he said that, Tanaka entered the room.

"Is everything ready?" Tanaka asked.

"Yes." The servants responded and unison, and then Finny stumbled in and almost tripped over his feet.

"The sultan and prince Claude are coming over right now!" Finny exclaimed.

"Everyone, get into position." Tanaka ordered as he clapped his hands together, setting everyone to head into the kitchen and bring out the food.

The doors opened and the younger prince and sultan proceeded into the room before sitting down. They watched silently as the servants served them their food and poured them glasses of wine. Then the servants retreated back to the kitchen while Tanaka stayed where he was incase the royals needed any more assistance.

The three servants pressed their ears to the door, listening carefully incase something came up between the sultan and prince, but the two ate away in silence. After several minutes, the sultan finally spoke that drew the servants to add more pressure to their ears as they listened attentively.

"I wonder what's taking princess Ciel so long." The sultan wondered, picking up a napkin to wipe off a few scraps off food of his face.

"I heard she was at the market." Claude replied.

"The market? Isn't it dangerous for a young lady like herself to go out at this time? Does she have an escort?" The sultan inquired urgently.

"I don't think so, but if needed, I could go look for her." Claude suggested with a smirk.

"That would be wise, you should head out now before it gets too dark."

"Certainly." Claude got up from his seat, pushing in his chair and folding his napkin neatly to the side of his plate. "I shouldn't be long, I wouldn't want to miss dessert." He responded casually, taking a slight bow as he excused himself.

x~x~x~x~x

The sun was just about to set but the market was still overcrowded with people. Claude would've sent guards to search for the boy, but he wanted to get him himself. But as the sun was setting lower and lower beneath the horizon, Claude's lack of patience and suspicion rose to a new degree. He was assuming that the servants really were hiding something and that Ciel ran off. His eyes narrowed and he marched back to the palace, ready to set things straight with those disgraceful servants.

Claude pushed the palace doors open and stomped his way back to the dinning hall to inform his father about the servants and Ciel's disappearance. When Claude entered the dinning hall, however-to his great surprise and disbelief- there was Ciel and Sebastian seated at the table eating alongside the sultan. The prince's eyes widened slightly at the notion that Sebastian was back, but then he noticed his marble-like eyes. But before he could think further, the sultan had cut him out of his thoughts.

"Oh, Claude, I was just about to send some guards out to bring you the good news: Sebastian is back. He just arrived several minutes after you left. But unfortunately after an attack from what appears to be another country, Sebastian has lost his sight!" The sultan explained breathlessly, turning to his oldest son solemnly.

Sebastian placed his utensils down and stood up, facing where he believed Claude was as his eyebrows narrowed.

Claude gained a better look of Sebastian's eyes; they were entirely clouded and held a far different presence than his deep, ruby irises.

The younger prince tilted his head to the side, acknowledging his brother's threatening vibe that he was given but didn't falter.

"Is something wrong, brother?" Claude inquired.

Sebastian had the dire urge to ram Claude into a wall for what he did to Ciel. But since his father was here, he couldn't do anything so he just kept calm and sat back down, still keeping in mind that this wasn't over. Ciel looked over at Sebastian with worry as well as the sultan who was uncomfortable about the tension rising in the room.

"Now, boys, this is a happy occasion, I don't know why it seems you both are at each other's throats." The sultan remarked disappointedly, wanting to make the atmosphere peaceful.

"I didn't do anything," Claude shrugged, returning to his seat at the far end of the table. "Sebastian's the one getting all worked up over nothing."

Claude then turned to face Ciel who was avoiding eye contact as he focused on the food. "And where were you, _princess,_ by the way?"

"I was at the market, of course." Ciel remarked, swiftly coming up with a lie on the spot as well as his voice. "I probably spent the entire day there, just looking around to buy some things, but there wasn't anything interesting. But then I saw Sebastian returning and helped him get back to the palace."

"An entire day?" Claude raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "I heard you were in your room due to a sickness."

". . .I was sick, then I got a little better." Ciel replied a bit hesitantly.

"And you felt the need to spend an entire day at the market?"

"Yes. . .I thought the fresh air would help."

Sebastian suddenly cleared his throat, knowing that Ciel was having a difficult time with Claude so he cut in, receiving a displeased look from Claude at the interruption. "Is this really important, Claude? Ciel only went shopping."

". . .I guess not." Claude frowned, annoyed at his brother's antics and knew that something was definitely up. Ciel glanced at Claude from the corner of his eye tensely and then resumed eating.

x~x~x~x~x

Dinner didn't last that long, it was mostly hateful stares coming from the brothers and desperately long silences. Every once in a while, the sultan tried to lighten the mood with jokes but it didn't go well.

Sebastian soon left the table along with Ciel at his side. Sebastian wanted to go to bed early, but first he wanted a hot bath. Since the prince had a hard time navigating, Ciel helped him get into his bathroom, entering another room where there was a massive bathtub made of marble in the center. Ciel turned on the hot water while Sebastian undressed himself, but he had a bit of trouble getting in the tub so Ciel helped settle him in.

"Are you feeling a bit better about this?" Sebastian asked curiously, referring to his eyes. The tub's ledge was wide enough for Ciel to sit on so he sat on the cool surface and searched around for the soap.

"It will take some adjusting . . ." Ciel replied softly, finding the soap and handing it to the prince.

Sebastian took the soap and began scrubbing himself as Ciel watched silently. Sebastian needed help with his back so Ciel scrubbed that part and continued talking. "But I'll be fine, how are you adjusting to this, though?"

Sebastian took a moment to think about this while Ciel waited for an answer, or at least a word out of him. Ciel washed off the prince's back with a small bucket of water, making sure no trace of soap was left on his skin.

"It's different," Sebastian finally spoke, sitting back against the tub and gesturing his head to Ciel's general direction. "It's just like having your eyes closed for a long time while relying onyour remaining senses that grow sharper, especially hearing. Besides that, nothing has changed; it hasn't weakened me or anything."

"I see. . ." Ciel nodded subtly in understanding, but he still felt a bit worried over the prince, but didn't drawn out the conversation.

After several minutes, Sebastian decided to get out of the bath so Ciel handed him a towel to dry off and then a robe to put on. Ciel escorted Sebastian back to his room and the boy rummaged through the prince's wardrobe to find his nightly attire.

"Hey," Sebastian began, sitting on his bed as a thought crossed his mind. "I never did get to see the finished product of the little elephant figurine you made."

"Oh . . ." Ciel paused, he had forgotten about that figurine he sculpted a while back. It brought back some time consuming and stressful memories, but he remembered that he did want to show it to Sebastian when he was done.

"I'll be right back." Ciel exclaimed and rushed out and headed straight to his other room to get the sculpture. But before he got there, a chilling voice from behind halted him before he can go any further.

"Whatever game you're trying to make me play, it's not working." Claude exclaimed, approaching the boy calmly, but that only made his presence more frightening. He stood just a few feet from Ciel, crossing his arms as he practically hovered over the boy who wanted to run but felt his legs immobilize.

"Where exactly were you?" Claude asked icily, demanding an answer straight away. But when Ciel didn't answer, the prince grabbed hold of the boy's collar and yanked him forward so that they were meeting eye to eye. "You ran away, didn't you?" Claude hissed venomously, but somehow kept his calmness intact.

"No." Ciel lied sternly; subtly afraid of what the prince might do if he said yes, and had a tinge of concern over the servants who were helping him. His eyes narrowed slightly, trying not to falter as he continued. "I already told you where I was, now let go of me. Sebastian's back so you're not in control of me anymore."

Claude frowned disapprovingly and then shoved Ciel backwards, almost causing him to fall over but he managed to sustain his balance. Claude scoffed at the boy's words as he tried to be intimidating, but the prince just smirked and walked away.

x~x~x~x~x

"You sure this is the place? There's nothing here." A vexed Peter huffed. The bandits were standing in the old house where Ciel was.

"I saw him coming from here though." Doll pursed her lips as she wandered about. The moon's light didn't bring much illumination into the house, but then Joker exited the house and then returned with a candle.

Joker held out the candle, gaining better view of the ramshackle place with its broken furniture and squeaky floorboards. But then, he almost tripped over something and found that it was a burnt out torch. Joker picked up the torch and lit it with the candle, setting the torch ablaze.

He examined the torch, notifying its design crusted into the wood. He took out the key, holding it close to the light and both designs of the cobra took a remarkable resemblance.

Joker smirked widely and looked over at his companions.

"This is the place."

"But there's nothing here." Peter repeated, throwing his arms up and gesturing to the spacious area.

"True, but Smile said that there's a secret passageway underground, so it's probably just below us. Jumbo, you know what to do." Joker turned to the tallest boy in the group.

Jumbo then stomped over beside Joker and bent over to grab hold of one of the loose floorboards. In seconds, he tore apart a huge chunk of the floorboard as if it were tissue.

Everyone circled around the torn hole on the floor, peering down at the darkness before they turned to one another, wondering who was going to go down first.

Since Joker had the torch, he jumped down first, landing perfectly on his feet. Joker held the torch out once more, circling around the basement before spotting a door with a lock on it. His smile grew wider, and without hesitation, he used the key to unlock the door.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:** Sorry bout last time, I was in a rather bad mood but now that I'm slightly less stressed, here's the new chap.

* * *

"Do you need anything else, sire?" Tanaka asked, gently pulling the sheets and blankets of the sultan's bed over, smoothing out the fabric so that it was perfectly flat.

"No, you're excused." The sultan replied quietly, walking up towards his massive bed as the old servant retrieved one of the silver candelabras and took a bow respectfully. The other candelabra was by the sultan's bed, shining like glass.

"It's a real shame . . ." The sultan stroked his beard, deep in thought as his face contorted with subtle concern as he stood at the foot of his bed, his broad back turned on Tanaka.

"What is, sire?" Tanaka wondered, knowing that something had been troubling the sultan ever since dinner.

"Sebastian . . ." The sultan drew out a long sigh, closing his eyes momentarily before opening them half lidded. He stretched his fingers outward towards the flames, circling his coiling digits around the dripping gold wax and daring the dancing flames to scorch his pale flesh. "He has changed."

"In what way, sire?"

The sultan lowered his gaze, taking another moment to think as he gradually stroked his beard. He plucked off the band of beads that kept his facial hair in a long, interwoven strand and placed the beads on the smooth surface of the nightstand underneath the candlelight. Some beads were a deep red like drops of blood, others were miniature gems, while the rest were like tiny shards from a bright diamond.

"Claude told me that Sebastian had gotten soft ever since he met the princess. Now, I'm proud of him for finally finding a wife and I wish them both a brilliant future, but," The sultan snubbed out one of the candles with his thumb and forefinger. "But now that he's blind . . .

"You're having your doubts about him?" Tanaka guessed. "He seems to be handling the situation fine. I don't think that his blindness will change anything."

The sultan pinched out another candle and watched as the thin smoke dissipated before dispersing. He slowly glanced over his shoulder; his eyes wide as he opened his mouth slightly, letting the words spill out in an ethereal whisper.

"No. . .I think it already has."

x~x~x~x~x

Joker's group traveled down the endless passageway, getting lost and stopping more than a few times along the way. Ciel said it was just like a maze and it truly was, but they weren't going to give up.

However, Doll stopped, but since she was at the back, no one noticed until her quiet voice traveled to the front.

"Is this really a good idea?" Doll asked, biting down on her lower lip. She felt her limbs trembling vaguely, giving a notion that she was hesitant. "What if we get caught?"

"We won't get caught." Joker immediately said with an assuring smirk. "If Smile was able to escape, we can easily return to where he escaped from as well."

"Yeah . . ." Doll bowed her head, but was still hesitant. Joker rested his hands on the girl's shoulders and gave her a more sensible smile.

"If you want, you can wait outside for us." Joker exclaimed.

"But—"

"Or you can look for Smile," Joker added. "I'm sure he didn't go far, so how about you catch up to him and bring him back?"

Doll was about to speak but couldn't find any words to say. She stared at Joker and then the rest of her companions as a mixture of emotions swelled up inside. She took in a slow, shaky breath and nodded. Joker patted her shoulder gently before turning to face the rest of his group, continuing along.

Doll took one last look at her companions who disappeared into the dark together before she headed off into different direction.

After the group of bandits continued onward for another hour or two, they had finally reached the end of the tunnel. They delightfully entered the palace and worked their way quietly through the dungeon and upper ground. When they entered one of the corridors, they decided to split up into pairs and steal whatever they could get their hands on before returning back as a group. They needed to be as quick and diligent before suspicion arose.

Dagger happily went with Beast to her utter disappointment. She wanted to go with Joker but their leader wanted to go alone. So, Dagger and Beast ventured down one of the corridors until they came across the grand hall.

The two were amazed to instantly find hundreds of precious artifacts laying out in plain sight as if begging to be stolen. Dagger was the first to jump in and swipe a glass vase and shove it into a large bag. Next he took hold of a small oil painting and snatched it as well. He snagged as many items as he could while Beast kept a look out. But then she heard someone approaching so she grabbed Dagger's collar—right as he snatched a knife kept in a glass case—and pulled him behind a column.

Bard had entered the hall, still in his cooking attire even though it was way past midnight. The first thing he noticed was an empty marble stand where the vase once stood, and then found a lot more artifacts stolen.

He scratched the back of his head and sighed with annoyance. "It's rather reckless of you to just snatch whatever you can without thinking you'll get caught" He turned on a heel as he addressed the unseen robbers. "Guards are everywhere here, but you just happened to run into me. You might as well show yourself now, it was hard not to hear the noise you were making."

Beast and Dagger glanced at each other wordlessly. They stayed where they were but then Dagger opened up the case with the knife inside. Dagger jumped out from the column and launched himself at Bard. Bard swiftly dodged, retrieving a frying pan from his apron and blocking the knife.

Bard smirked, pushing Dagger aside, but the other stood his ground, ready to attack again. "No one has ever broken into the palace before, so I'm surprised you made it here without getting caught. But your luck has run out now."

Beast burst out in a huge leap, aiming at the cook's head with a kick but Bard bent over, just barely missing the leg by a few inches. He skidded back, clashing hard against the stand that wobbled and crashed loudly on the floor. The sharp sound resounded in the hall, causing the bandits to freeze as the pounding of feet from guards came their way. The bandits didn't glance at each other as they swiftly broke into a run.

x~x~x~x~x

As Joker ascended the staircase, he was too preoccupied with his goal to hear the sound of running in the distance. It was entirely still and quiet as he crept into the hall, almost walking in blindly as only a tiny bit of moonlight slipped through the thick curtains.

There were yells in the distance, but they were like the passing wind to the thief's ear. He stumbled deeper into the hall, descending into the darkness before coming across the only door that was slightly ajar.

He slipped inside, a wide smile on his face when he saw a figure tucked within the blanket and sheets. He slowly reached into his pocket and took out a small knife that glistened faintly in the moon's light.

He wasn't intending to murder anyone at first, but he was intrigued to know what would happen if a royal died. He would have to do this quietly, however, perhaps slitting the throat in one quick cut would be efficient enough.

The thief brought the knife at close range to the neck with the cold blade touching the delicate skin. But before he could go any further, someone suddenly crashed into Joker, causing them both to smack against the ground. They rolled on the floor with Joker using his knife to cut at his ambusher, but the latter wasn't going down without a fight.

In the overwhelming darkness it was difficult to grasp what was going on as the two struggled with one another. Joker was ruthlessly and blindly slashing at the person as the latter tried to knock the blade away but only received many wounds, causing blood to spill on the polished floor.

Joker kicked the person out of the door, causing him to slide backwards uncontrollably before hitting the wall. Joker staggered to his feet, breathing heavily as he came up to the dark figure - now out cold. He grabbed his arm and dragged him up to a window, throwing open the curtains to see his pursuer before he could finish him off.

The moon's pale light was finally able to pour in, making the small pool of blood underneath the body to shimmer faintly like rubies. Joker's eyes were first trained on the blood before they gradually lifted. Then suddenly, the thief's breath was caught in his throat when he saw who the person was.

"Smile . . ." Joker's lips quivered, almost losing his grip on the knife that was smeared with the boy's blood. He was wounded all over with deep cuts sliced through his fragile skin. If they had fought any longer, Joker would've stabbed him.

Ciel opened his eyes slowly, staring feebly at Joker who was struck frozen and speechless. The boy didn't know that the intruder was Joker; he could only see the outline of him coming towards the bedside, and the first thing he did was attack him before he could hurt Sebastian. His entire body was stinging, and seeing that Joker was here, he didn't know whether to scream for help or do anything at all. As far as he knew, Joker might have even finished him right then.

Ciel eyed the knife with contained fear, but was more apprehensive about how the thief got in. But then a newfound fear erupted: he had forgotten about the key. His eyes widened and Joker caught sight of the boy's trepidation. Joker dropped the knife as it clattered before falling silent.

"What's . . . going on? Why are you here?" Joker asked with his voice shaking, struggling to get the words out. "Didn't you . . .escape?"

"Got caught again . . ." Ciel lied, gulping down heavily, finding it difficult to constantly lie all the time now.

"But—"

"You need to go." Ciel commanded, hearing the swift stomps of footsteps approaching.

"Not without you." Joker remarked; coming over to Ciel but then the booming voices of guards stopped him. Joker turned to face a group of them and took a quick sideways glance to spot that he was at a dead end.

"There's no where to run." A guard held out his sword along with the other guards, and they surrounded the thief in a semi circle. Ciel couldn't do anything but watch as a guard bound the thief's hands together tightly with a rope.

"That must be all of them." Another guard stated, smirking sardonically at Joker who only frowned at him. "It's quite easy catching you thieves, how the hell were you all able to get in here anyways?"

Ciel's eyes shifted to Joker momentarily with a sickening feeling inside as he dreaded the answer. The other thief was going to expose him; he just knew it.

"We . . ." Joker took a breath and Ciel shut his eyes, his breathing was drawing short and he couldn't find the air to take in.

"There was an open window and we climbed through." Joker exclaimed with a smirk, confusing everyone, especially Ciel. "You guys should really be careful next time."

"What open window!?" A guard demanded.

"I forgot; there's hundreds of them here." Joker shrugged. "Why don't you all go check incase more of us come in?"

"What's going on here!?" Sebastian burst through his door—almost tripping a few times along his way through his bedchamber, getting up after hearing so much commotion.

"There was a break in." The guard that bound Joker exclaimed, tightening the rope once more for precaution. "We caught seven of them but we believe that's all of them."

"Are you sure about that?" A new voice sparked up and everyone turned to see Claude standing at his doorway. No one knew how long he was standing there; he blended into the shadows perfectly and was completely still. "There might be more of them, I'll check since you all are lazy." He remarked coldly, passing by the guards and took a sideways glance at Sebastian. "Also you should help your little_ princess_, she's on the ground with some wounds but it doesn't look too bad."

As some guards took Joker away, others stayed to check on Ciel whose vision started to blur. Someone carefully picked Ciel up and was talking to him comfortingly, but the boy barely noticed. He weakly picked his head up to see that it was Sebastian who was holding him.

He could see him mouthing words but couldn't comprehend what he was saying. It was the same with everyone else in the hall, which seemed to be spinning now. He saw some other guards taking Joker away.

Ciel closed his eyes once but when he opened them again he found himself back in bed. There were bandages all over him but his wounds were still stinging. He looked over to see Sebastian sitting on the bedside; his head turned downward but then perked up when he heard the boy's slight shuffling.

"Are you alright?" Sebastian asked.

"Y—yeah . . ." Ciel nodded feebly, but it wasn't exactly true. He was about to say something else until the door swung open and Meyrin burst through with tear-filled eyes.

"Come quickly, Sebastian!" She shrieked, coming over to the prince's side and taking his arm—she knew she wasn't allowed to do that but with Sebastian's situation, it was necessary. "The sultan . . .your father, he got bitten by a snake!"

Ciel's eyes widened slightly as he wondered if it was one of Snake's reptiles. He was about to get up but was settled back down by Sebastian who quickly ordered him to stay in bed.

"I'll be right back." Sebastian abruptly told Ciel before heading off with Meyrin.

x~x~x~x~x

Both princes entered the bedchamber while Meyrin decided to check on Ciel. The sultan was in his bed, breathing heavily as his arm where the snake struck shook in an uncontrollable manner. A guard quickly killed the snake but there were probably more snakes around. The guards went searching after they took the thieves away.

Claude had an antidote for snake bites, but it looked like it might have been too late since no one knew how long ago the sultan was bitten and how long he was going to last.

The sultan weakly turned his head to see his sons and gestured for them to come over. "I have something to say to you two," He croaked out the words hoarsely, taking in sharp, painful breaths.

Claude and Sebastian stood at the bedside, both utterly quiet as they waited for their father to speak. The sultan felt his heart slowing down and could have counted the number of beats there were in the last minute. His hand wandered around before taking hold of Sebastian's sleeve and he pulled on it. The sultan raised his head to say something as the princes leaned in to hear.

"Sebastian . . . " The sultan's hand shook as it held to his son's sleeve. "You. . . .you. . . " The sultan stopped as he winced in agony before everything grew numb, but he wasn't finish as he spoke his final words in a grave tone.

"I've been having. . . my doubts about you lately. . . and with this last command, I'm afraid to let you know. . ." The sultan took in a final breath as he muttered with tearful, bloodshot eyes. "You are not fit to become sultan."

* * *

**A/N: **Reviews are much appreciated since I really want to know your reactions to this. I know it's probably not much of a twist since it might've been obvious or you've been thinking bout it, but still~ I'd like to know your thoughts and what you think will happen next~


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N:** I know, I haven't updated this fic in weeks and now I update a chap that ends up short. . .this chap is more of a buildup to the next one so next chap will definitely make up for this one.

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The sultan was dead. The announcement was a shock to everyone in the kingdom. A large crowd was swiftly formed around the gates and watched in disbelief as guards carried the body of the sultan out. The body was wrapped in a white cloth and was laid on a wooden slab where the edges were rested upon the shoulders of four guards. The crowd watched as the body was carried away.

Everyone was quiet. No noise, not even a whisper was uttered. They stared and watched in great wonder as they questioned: how did their noble sultan leave so soon? Silent tears streamed through their eyes and their mouths quivered as they tried to speak, but they knew that their voices wouldn't reach any of the guard's ears.

Sebastian and Claude followed close behind. They dared not to speak a word, but so many thoughts were rushing through their minds. Claude was going to be the new sultan; Sebastian wouldn't. The elder prince wondered what his fate was going to be now, but more importantly, what was Ciel's?

Ciel watched what was going on from the bedroom window. He pushed the curtains back to get a better view and spot Sebastian. He wanted to go down with him to give him support, but part of him told him not to interfere with the ceremony. It was best if he stayed where he was.

There was then a knock at the door and Meyrin quietly entered. Ciel didn't bother to look as he kept himself focus from where he was at. Meyrin wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and sniffled rather loudly, disrupting the silence in the room. She stood beside the boy and watched as well, taking in deep breaths before finally asking.

"Has prince Sebastian told you?" Meyrin asked.

". . .Yeah." Ciel replied almost inaudibly. "He's . . .not going to be sultan."

Meyrin was about to burst into tears but she held it in as she continuously wiped her eyes. Her deep breathing became steady as she composed herself.

"Meyrin . . ." Ciel turned to the maid solemnly, and if he could cry there would've been tears but there was only emptiness in those lost, cerulean eyes. "I'm going to get executed like those thieves . . .aren't I?"

"Don't say that!" Meyrin cried; covering her mouth as more tears streamed from her eyes, never minding the handkerchief clutched in her hand. "Please . . .don't. You won't be executed."

Ciel presumed that Meyrin was just trying to be nice, but in reality, it wasn't true. Somehow the cuts started to burn all over his body and he felt uncomfortably hot. He stumbled back before he bumped into the bed. The boy slid down onto the floor and shut his eyes. Meyrin knelt down next to Ciel and gently wrapped her arms around him. She assured him that everything was going to be fine over and over but the thought of execution couldn't leave Ciel's mind.

x~x~x~x~x

After the funeral, Claude gathered a majority of the people back to the palace and into the throne room. Claude proudly sat down on his father's throne, which surprised everyone since they expected Sebastian to be sitting there, but the prince just stood where he was near the throne, not saying anything.

Claude waited patiently for everyone to settle down before talking. He drummed his fingers on the armrest and gazed at his people with a sense of pride, cherishing the fact that he was now sultan.

"What a very solemn day this is," Claude begun, speaking loud and clear throughout the chamber. "My father was murdered last night when thieves broke into the palace. But they have all been captured and will be executed for their crimes very soon. They will be tortured and starved for days before they are burned alive in the brazen bull. My father was a great man and sultan, so I'll be sure that those thieves face the utmost punishment for what they have done.

"My brother unfortunately," Claude eyed Sebastian whose shoulder flinched subtly at his recognition and didn't want to be notice or humiliated. "Cannot be sultan due to becoming blind from an attack when he was returning from the desert. Thus, my father made me his heir instead." Claude smiled, sitting back on the throne and folding his hands together on his lap with the cockiness of authority shrouding him. "You're all going to obey me now," he turned to Sebastian again and his smile grew. "I hope I make that clear enough, especially to you, dear brother."

Sebastian stayed silent and refused to say anything as anger boiled up inside him. Claude was practically begging to get his jaw broken, but getting angry was what the new sultan wanted since he enjoyed his new rank of authority. Sebastian couldn't do anything but listen to Claude's endless talking about continuing his father's dream. But to Sebastian, he was going to let the kingdom fall into ruins.

When Claude was done his speech and everyone had left, the new sultan and the prince were the only people left in the chamber. Claude was still seated on the throne and noticed that Sebastian was still nearby, barely moved an inch from his spot.

"Why are you looking so distressed brother?" Claude asked, feigning a slight frown. "You should be proud of me."

"You know very well why I'm not proud." Sebastian remarked coldly, gesturing his head to his brother's general direction. "I'm the one who's supposed to be sitting on that throne."

"Well you're not." Claude mocked. "And soon you will be proud of me, I will be continuing father's legacy the way that he wanted it to be. If you were sultan, you would be ruining it. Why did you think he chose me instead?"

Sebastian's eyebrows furrowed deeply and he stomped his way up to Claude, following the sound of his voice. It wasn't hard to find his way in front of his brother since his voice was too distinct and cocky to ignore.

"Father may have chosen you, but it doesn't mean that you're going to lead this kingdom triumphantly." Sebastian sneered.

"Humph," Claude chuckled and tilted his head to the side. " We'll see about that, dear brother, because pretty soon you'll be on your knees kissing my feet in respect."

"I think that would be a problem, actually," Sebastian remarked, crossing his arms. "Considering that I'm blind, it would be difficult to tell the difference between the dirty floor and your feet."

Claude's mouth twitched at the insult but he kept himself calm as he clenched his hands together. He returned to smiling despite his brother's words and continued in an uncomfortably composed tone.

"You're as angry as ever, but I promise you, this kingdom will be victorious and you will respect me as your new sultan."

"Now that's another problem, Claude," Sebastian started as he turned his back to leave. "You're terrible at making promises."

"So lets make a deal then." Claude suggested, standing up from the throne. "Just to prove that I can indeed keep a promise."

"I don't think so." Sebastian walked away, but was stopped by Claude's next words.

"It'll be about Ciel—"

"Keep him OUT of this." Sebastian ordered.

"I will," Claude confirmed as he stood up from his chair and walked over to Sebastian casually. "You told me a while back not to mess with him. So I promise you, I won't do anything to hurt him."

"Ciel told me you hurt him while I was away! So you've already broken that promise before it was already made." Sebastian bitterly reminded.

"I promise." Claude emphasized the words slowly and clearly with each syllable. "As for you, if you don't get in my way and let me rule this country without your interference, I'll leave your precious servant alone."

Sebastian frowned disapprovingly, refusing to believe that Claude was telling the truth so he marched off without saying another word. Claude never kept promises, and that was a well-known fact that wasn't going to change.

x~x~x~x~x

When Sebastian returned to his room, he presumed that he was alone until he heard the steady breaths of Ciel, who was curled up in bed, locked in a fetal position. He lifted his head when he saw Sebastian enter the room then laid down, clenching the sheets tightly in his grasp.

"What's going to happen now?" Ciel asked.

"I don't know . . ." Sebastian replied, reaching out to find the bed and sitting down when he did. He scooted back until he was next to Ciel. "Have you been in here all day?"

"Yeah . . ." Ciel nodded feebly, he was very quiet and his voice was strained like something was caught in his throat.

"Are you alright?" Sebastian asked, resting a gentle hand on Ciel's shoulder and rubbing it.

"Yeah," Ciel repeated, " . . .So you really don't know what's going to happen? To me, as well as you . . .am I . . ." Ciel's voice started to break down so the rest of his words came out croaked and painful to say. "Am I going to be executed?"

"No," Sebastian stated firmly then switched to a different subject since he didn't want to talk about that. "How long have you been in here?"

"Is it near nighttime?"

"Yes."

". . .All day then, I suppose." Ciel shrugged absentmindedly and refused to get up nevertheless. He kept himself curled up within the sheets but it felt unusually cold in the room. "So the thieves from the other night are going to be executed then?"

"Yes." Sebastian confirmed, "in a few days at the city square."

"And they're. . . " Ciel spoke again as he sunk deeper in the bed. "They're going to be. . . burnt in the brazen bull, aren't they?"

"Yes, why are you asking this?" Sebastian asked worriedly.

"Just wondering." Ciel simply stated and decided not to talk anymore.

* * *

**A/N:** So this chap is buildup to the next one which will include a flashback about Ciel's first meeting and time with the bandits and the day of the execution so a lot is going to happen next time~


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N:** I really need to stop delaying so much on this fic. . .first there was finals and then I became busy with other stuff that that kept me away from writing, but after almost a month here's the chap. Good news is that a character that I'm sure some of you have been waiting to see appears for a bit, plus this chap's fairly long compared to the last few and big things happen. So the beginning part is Ciel reflecting back on some parts of his past so the beginning bit is his POV. We don't learn everything from Ciel's past here, but pretty soon, all will be revealed~ _  
_

* * *

_I don't remember how old I was when I was separated from my parents and put in a place with other children. I didn't know how and why I was here, but all I had was the blue diamond ring, the only thing I had left of my parents. I didn't know what happened to them, I just know that they had run off when my village was burning and people were screaming. It was all a blur._

_I was entirely alone and not aware of what was going on before me. There were other children with me, but each day they were taken away one by one and never seen again. I wondered if I was going to leave too, but no one came. The place was filthy and children were always crying and getting sick. There were people there trying to help but didn't do much. They just gave us stale pieces of bread, water and just left us until we grew hungry again._

_Turns out it was a place where kids who don't have anywhere else to go, no family to be with, were put until some other family takes them. It was not a safe place to be and I usually got sick. I wanted to leave ever since I came here, and finally, after years of being here, I got the chance._

_It was late at night, everyone was asleep, or so it seemed. When I was about to leave, a hand grabbed my ankle and I almost screamed, but luckily I didn't. I looked down and saw a kid a bit older than me—maybe one year or two—holding on to my leg. He had messy blond hair and light blue eyes that were staring at me. He was one of the few kids that I knew, and his name was a weird one. Alois._

_"Are you going to the bathroom? Can I join you?" He asked before yawning rather loudly and rubbing his eye._

_"No. I'm leaving." I explained sternly._

_"Leaving to go where?" Alois asked._

_"I don't know, anywhere but here." I confirmed and pulled my leg out of his grasp._

_"Why?" Alois got up and started to follow me, so I increased my pace since I didn't want to deal with him._

_"Leave me alone." I hissed, glaring at him from the corner of my eye as a warning, but he didn't buy it and just smiled._

_"I want to come along." Alois came up besides me and placed a hand on my shoulder. I yanked myself from his touch and broke into a run. I didn't have time for this; I needed to get out._

_I escaped from the back door and kept on running until I got tired. I was out of the place, but I didn't know where I was going. Another problem that I had was that Alois was still following me. I tried to pretend that he wasn't there but his blabbering voice was hard to not hear._

_"Why did you want to leave? If you stayed, someone might've picked you up the next day." Alois added._

_I briefly gave him another glare and kept walking forward. "I've been at that place for years and don't want to wait anymore. Besides, I don't belong there, I belong somewhere else."_

_"Where?"_

_"I'm finding out myself. Now quit following me." I responded._

_"Don't you like company?"_

_"I don't like you."_

_Alois pouted and was making some kind of distressed expression but I wasn't buying it. He just looked ridiculous; he even had fake tears building up in his eyes. Alois was pathetically staring at me for literally several minutes while we walked._

_We were in some unknown village, but it was so late that we were the only ones outside. Alois's endless chatter was the only sound around. He kept talking about what would happen if I stayed at that place because he believed that we would all be with new families sooner or later, but I needed to find my chance to get away from him to prevent an incoming migraine._

_I spotted a group of camels with their reigns tied up to a palm tree. They all had at least one or two baskets attached to them, and since the baskets were big enough to hold me, I decided to hide in one. While Alois wasn't looking, I rushed to one of the sleeping camels, tore off one of the lids and slipped myself inside the basket._

_In seconds I heard Alois calling out for me, but he didn't know where I was as his running footsteps descended and his voice became distant. It was quiet now, like it should have been._

_It was a bit cramped inside since there were tons of different supplies, but I didn't stay for long since the bandits spotted me soon after. They were very suspicious of me at first as they yanked me out and searched me to make sure I didn't steal anything, but then they saw the ring on my thumb._

_Joker nabbed it off my finger and gazed at it wordlessly while I was held back by the others._

_"Well, well, would you look at this." Joker smiled as he examined at the ring closely. "It's a blue diamond, anyone who gets their hands on this rare and extraordinary gem would be lucky for the rest of his life. What a great steal this is."_

_"I didn't steal it!" I yelled. "Give it back, now!" _

_"First tell us who you are." Joker insisted._

_I paused and gazed down doubtfully; I had forgotten my own name. It's still unclear to me now what it might've been. I could still remember my parent's faces, but my name was completely eluded from my mind._

_"I don't have one." I said with a weak shrug, and the bandits seemed to believe me. They were just as lonely and nameless as I was since they didn't have real names, or real families. What they did have, however, was a man that they called father who they trusted with their lives. But before I learned about that, the bandits were all just kids like me, just stealing whatever they wanted for a living because there was nothing else. I don't know what I would've done without them._

_ I couldn't stay in that place, no one would take me and I didn't want anyone to anyways. I wanted to be with my parents, but I didn't know whether they were alive or not. So I stuck with the bandits since they were all I had left. They considered themselves a family, but it wasn't a real one, especially since they were being controlled by a false ruler._

_It was foolish of them to trust him since he was just a creepy middle age man who told stupid legends. Because of that, I lost trust in them since they were literally being controlled, and I didn't want to be under anyone's control. I'm not anyone's possession. I wouldn't go searching for treasure that doesn't exist._

_We visited him a few years later when we stayed at his estate. He was practically swimming in the gold and jewels that the bandits gave him, so I felt disgusted when I finally saw him. _

_I left shortly after, but not before being confronted by Joker, as I was about to set off on a camel._

_"Where are you going?" Joker asked urgently as he ran up to me. He reached for my arm but I just pushed him away._

_"I'm on my own now, don't follow me." I countered as I mounted the camel. I refused to look at him, especially when I said: "I don't trust that man, therefore I don't trust you guys. You're all pathetic."_

_I disappeared right afterwards, before I could hear Joker's words. I knew that I was right and they were all wrong. I never regretted leaving them even though I stuck with them for years. But now...knowing they're going to be executed for my own foolishness...I've felt the first signs of guilt._

Ciel woke up in the middle of the night and stared wordlessly into the darkness. He tried to fall back to sleep but could only stay awake as he dreaded the approaching morning.

x~x~x~x~x

The royals and Ciel were seated on a balcony from a tower that overlooked the city square. Ciel didn't want to come, but he didn't want to make himself look suspicious if he refused to go. He had to witness the fate of his former companions. He watched quietly on the stone chair, solemnly looking down as an executioner came up on the platform below and read out the crime on a scroll. A large crowd of people surrounded the platform, waiting with excitement as the event unfolded. It was like watching a play, just another way to get entertainment.

The beating of drums in the distance was in a constant two beat rhythm like the sound of a heart. It started slow but then sped up as the bandits were brought up to the platform. They were yanked, shoved and dragged till they stood face to face with a brazen bull. Their hands were tightly bound and their feet were buckled with shackles leashed to their ankles.

The drumbeats stopped as the executioner lit a fire underneath the bull and the flames blazed instantly, making the crowd more excited. They drew closer to the platform, about to cheer as the executioner chose Dagger to be the first victim to the bull.

When the executioner unbound Dagger, the thief tried to run away but he was instantly caught and practically thrown into the bull. Beast screamed, followed by Dagger's cries as he was trapped in the heated belly. Beast swirled her head towards the cheering crowd and then to the executioner.

"Damn you!" She hollered as she strained to move forward, but the shackles pulled her back. She thrashed around but the chains of the shackles were caught around her legs and she toppled over. The crowd kept laughing at her futile attempts as the other bandits watched in agony. Pretty soon Beast joined Dagger.

Sweat built up on Ciel's skin as he found himself short of breath. He tried not to watch but the screams were hard not to ignore. He gulped down dryly and shifted uncomfortably in his seat, catching the attention of Sebastian who was sitting next to him.

"Are you alright?" Sebastian asked.

"Y—yeah." Ciel feebly nodded, catching his breath as he inhaled slowly, oblivious to Claude's watchful eye, which had fallen on him.

Just as the boy was about to compose himself, a familiar gaze caught him off guard. Joker spotted Ciel and for a spilt second, just before he was put in the brazen bull. There was a blend of betrayal and pity plastered on his tearstained face and strained, weary eyes. Joker's mouth quivered as he said "Smile" softly in a broken tone before he was thrown in. He couldn't find the voice to scream afterwards as he burned.

Without a second thought, Ciel was rushing down the spiral stairs of the tower; getting himself away from it all but he didn't go far. Claude was right behind him and was quick to grab his arm and pull him over to the side before he could escape.

"Where do you think you're going?" Claude asked.

"Claude!" Sebastian came storming in just in time; luckily he didn't trip on any steps. They were all midflight and when he got to where the two were, he took Claude's shoulder and tightened his grip.

"Leave him alone." Sebastian ordered.

"You can't tell me what to do. " Claude sneered, but despite his words, Sebastian took a second to find Claude's face before bashing it severely with his fist. Claude fell back and slammed against the wall before sliding down a few steps. Claude stared wide-eyed at Sebastian but then his face warped angrily and he shouted out: "Guards!" as he held his bleeding nose. Immediately, guards began to march in and Sebastian's moment of triumph faltered as the stomping of footsteps came closer.

Ciel took Sebastian's hand and they rushed out as fast as they could. Claude ordered the guards to capture the two, so now a swarm of guards were right behind them with machetes. Ciel led the way as he told Sebastian when to duck and jump as they ran through the busy street. The city was packed so it was hard to get through the crowd. Ciel decided to push through everyone and yell at them.

"Get out of the way!" Ciel shouted as he scrambled through the crowd. Sebastian could only follow Ciel as he was pulled alongside in every direction, not knowing where the boy was exactly going but not having a clue where they should go as well.

"Move it!" Ciel harshly elbowed some more people. Everyone around them was confused about what was going on, and it didn't help that when the guards came, they pushed said people again to get through.

"Where are we heading?" Sebastian asked as he was pulled into yet another crowded street filled with loud chatter so Sebastian practically had to yell his question.

"I have no idea!" Ciel exclaimed. "Every street looks the same so it's like I'm running in circles! And it doesn't help that it's crowded everywhere! Move!" Ciel kept yelling, which wasn't helpful since he was grabbing the attention of some of the guards who spotted them through the crowd.

Ciel looked over his shoulder to see the guards getting closer so he told Sebastian to duck down as they carefully slid away from the crowd and slipped quickly into an alley. The alley was dark and was a good cover for the two as they caught their breath. They both sat down on one side of the wall while Ciel kept a keen watch on the street.

"I apologize for this." Sebastian remarked.

"He deserved that punch." Ciel replied with a small smirk. "The look on his face afterwards was amusing, and it made it better with his nose bleeding, you might've broken it."

Sebastian chuckled lightly but it didn't last long. "And now we're in hiding as my brother and guards are trying to chase us down, and sooner or later the whole kingdom will be after us."

"Is there anywhere we can go get help?" Ciel asked.

"Yeah, the neighboring countries, but we need to go to the closest one since it takes days to get to the others." Sebastian explained and sighed. "Unfortunately the closest kingdom from us isn't exactly my favorite, but now I would rather go there than stay here any longer."

* * *

**A/N: **So who do you think Sebastian and Ciel will go to for help? I'll try to get the next chap updated before the year ends, so stay tune for that.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N:** Happy holidays everyone! Here is a late Christmas and early New Years present for you all. This is the last chap for 2012, the year that the world was supposedly going to end, but it didn't, so hooray for surviving an apocalypse that didn't happen! :D Another good news is that I made a tumblr account, so you guys are free to follow me if you like. I really haven't done much on it yet since I just registered a few days ago and am still getting the hang of it. My url is on my profile, but for some reason it doesn't show up here. And one more thing, I'm hoping to get to at least 300 reviews before 2013, we're getting pretty close so if we get to 300 that would be awesome~

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"Where now?" Ciel asked once they snuck out of the city. They had to wait until nightfall for the streets to clear up and navigate thoroughly without getting caught. There were guards everywhere patrolling the streets, but since Ciel was stealthier at nighttime because he was a thief, getting past the guards was easy. Ciel also took a camel and now they were riding out into the desert under the cloak of night.

"Keep heading west, when we reach an oasis we can rest there before continuing. It'll take at least a day to get to the next country, so we should be there by tomorrow night." Sebastian replied.

"Okay then." Ciel kicked the camel's right side and they headed westward.

x~x~x~x~x

A guard entered the throne room to find Claude sitting at the throne regally. But the guard faltered, his fingers twisting nervously around his own shirt. It was obvious to Claude that the guard had failed to capture his brother and the boy, and in no time, his formal disposition was gone.

"You don't have to say anything," Claude cut in before the guard could even mouth out a word. "I should've known that you all would be useless. But no matter, we'll just have to wait for them to come here."

"But what if they don't?" The guard asked with a quivered tone but covered it up with a cough and composed himself.

"Then I'll go after them myself. But for now, we'll wait." Claude proclaimed, without hesitation. "Call back your guards. If those two are not back in three days I'll be finishing the job."

"But wouldn't you need any assistance?" The guard asked again, obliging to help but the new sultan's glare contradicted it.

"No, you all haven't done anything and accomplished nothing. Besides, this is a matter between Sebastian and I," Claude exclaimed. "If you don't do your jobs right again, then I might even throw you all in the bull. So tell your useless peers to stay out of this."

All the color washed off from the guard's face and he bowed down to hide his trepidation. "Y―yes, your highness."

"Good, you're dismissed." Claude remarked and the guard swiftly marched off. The sultan rolled his eyes at the absurdity that the guard and the others beckoned but excused it. He then stared off at nothing in particular as he contemplated in the darkness.

x~x~x~x~x

When Ciel and Sebastian got to the oasis, they dismounted the camel and Ciel helped the prince settle down underneath a palm tree. Sebastian leaned back on the trunk while Ciel went over to a small stream and collected fresh water in their jugs. He handed one to Sebastian and then sat down next to him.

"There's something I need to tell you . . ." Ciel exclaimed quietly, reminiscing back earlier today and a few days ago when the break in to the palace happened. "Those bandits . . ."

"They were the ones who you traveled with, correct?" Sebastian immediately guessed, before Ciel could speak he continued on. "During the execution your breathing was rigid and you were struggling to sit still. When I asked you if you were fine, you said that you were alright but you were obviously lying. So tell me, how did they get into the palace?"

Ciel was taken aback at this and nearly chocked on his water. He took a second to compose himself as he moved over a few feet away for precaution. "Tanaka took me to the secret passageway underneath the palace. He gave me the key so I could get through the passageway easily, but I wasn't careful with it. When I escaped, I soon met up with the bandits and they took the key from me without me noticing. I was in a hurry because I was looking for you, but I wasn't paying attention to anything else. But the bandits were able to enter the palace because of me."

Ciel looked at Sebastian, scared of getting reprimanded. The prince, however, stayed calm and quiet which made Ciel more uneasy. He didn't know if he should say anything else but he figured that he might make the situation worse. Ciel got up and walked over to the small stream. He stood over the stream and saw a blurred version of his reflection in the water. Ciel tossed a pebble into the water and his reflection rippled.

"This is all my fault." Ciel tossed in another pebble, but this time more forcefully as water flew up and hit his face. He slumped back down and slapped a hand at the water before pulling his knees together and hiding his face within his hands. He didn't like how quiet Sebastian was and just wanted the prince to yell at him, but he didn't. Sebastian just turned to Ciel's direction and could only listen to the boy's frustration.

x~x~x~x~x

The rest of the journey was mundane with the lack of communication besides directions. Ciel found himself becoming sick and was growing nauseous as they traveled under the beating sun. But he didn't want to worry Sebastian with any more things; he had enough on his mind. So Ciel tried to keep his focus as he was given directions.

After many miles of traveling across the desert, Sebastian and Ciel entered the neighboring country and were immediately escorted to the palace. Sine both countries were great allies with each other, Sebastian was treated with genuine respect and was able to go to the palace with ease. They were led into the throne room and waited for the sultan, but instead, they were greeted by one of the princes - Soma.

"What a great surprise to see you! You never come to visit, it's usually me who does." Soma exclaimed excitedly.

"Where's your father?" Sebastian demanded.

"He's on vacation with my mother, so my older brothers and sisters are in charge, but they're busy with other things. But since I'm not busy, I'm here to be at your service―wait, what happened to your eyes?" Soma peered closely at Sebastian's eyes and then pulled back. "Oooh. . .so I guess this isn't just a visit. Lets talk in the dinning room, I'll tell Agni to make us some tea."

x~x~x~x~x

"I see; that's definitely something." Soma was struck speechless when Sebastian told him everything. Ciel stayed quiet the entire time while Sebastian talked. He mostly talked about how Claude became sultan but barely mentioned the bandits to Ciel's relief, but he was still in a discomforted state.

"Now I'm asking for your help," Sebastian insisted. "And I will grant you and your kingdom an award for your services."

"Yes, of course," Soma smiled and nodded in complete understanding. "You are my friend so of course I'll help! What do you want us to do?"

Sebastian smiled humbly; he wasn't that fond of Soma since he usually acted like a brat but this time the younger prince was being helpful. As Sebastian was explaining to Soma about his plan, Ciel decided to leave the hall without the two noticing. He stopped by an empty room and decided to stay there alone with his thoughts.

Later on, Sebastian and Soma came to the room-which took a while since they didn't know where Ciel was―and found the boy curled up in the bed with his back to them. Soma stayed at the doorway while Sebastian came up to the bedside and lightly touched the boy's shoulder. Ciel flinched and scooted away, huddling into a tighter ball at the edge of the bed.

"I want to be alone right now."

"Ciel―"

"I said I want to be alone." Ciel repeated, on the brink of yelling but he kept quiet afterwards and waited for Sebastian to leave. The prince could imagine the boy's small, fragile frame on the bed, but he couldn't imagine the pain that he was currently going through. All Sebastian could do was say, "It's not your fault." before leaving the boy be.

Sebastian closed the door and gestured to Soma who was trying to pull up a smile to cheer the prince up, but he had forgotten that Sebastian couldn't see and soon gave up.

"Do you want any curry, Sebastian?" Soma asked.

"No thanks, I'm going to turn in for tonight." Sebastian simply replied; he also wanted to add that he had enough curry for dinner but didn't want to hear the prince's complaints.

x~x~x~x~x

Early in the morning, Ciel decided to leave. He didn't know why, but he had to get out. So the boy mounted his camel and set off into the desert without anyone knowing, but at that time he didn't care.

He exited the city and traversed the scorching desert to get away. The sun was beating down on him but he ignored it as he kept ordering his camel to move faster. He didn't know what he was doing, and pretty soon his camel was growing tired and so was he.

He was trapped in the midst of a barren wasteland with no idea what direction to turn, what to do. All he knew was that he needed to get away from it all. The boy got down from his camel and sat down on the soft but scorching sand that was burning his skin, but everything inside felt so cold.

Minutes swiftly transitioned to hours and Ciel was still laying on the desert floor, staring off into the clear sky where the howling wind was the only sound that rung in his ears. But then, the wind's howls turned into high pitch screams. Ciel's head shot up and he saw blurred figures running and the voices of people shouting in the distance. The boy got to his feet and ran towards the frenzied figures. The screams grew louder but the figures were growing farther apart from him. His legs couldn't keep up and he collapsed to the ground.

Ciel had to struggle to walk again, he didn't know whether it was the heat or his mind that was straining on his body but he kept moving forward towards the voices. Finally he came across an abandoned village that was practically lost in the sand, but its old houses were still standing, including a watch tower that was leaning on its side.

Screams echoed across the deserted area but Ciel didn't see anyone. He was running mindlessly, trying to find the source of the screams and yells but no one was around. The cries were the only things that remained alive in this village, but it was all in the boy's head.

Ciel then came across one of the houses and stepped inside. The house was small with the furniture still recognizable but still showed signs of decay, along with everything else. The windows were broken with glass strewn on the floor. Also on the floor was a small, wooden rattle. Ciel picked up the rattle, followed by the faint jingle of a couple of tiny bells held within the toy.

He observed the rattle with a vague memory that he couldn't describe. Ciel looked around the room, recollecting past memories a bit more but it was all a blur. The mixture of loud noises continued onward before dispersing in the air, as if they never happened. There was no one here except for himself in this deserted village, or so it seemed with the soft thudding of sandals coming up from behind.

Ciel turned around and saw a man with long, silver hair wearing a wrinkled, old gray robe that didn't look like it's been washed in years. He grinned peculiarly, setting off an awkward vibe to the boy who backed away.

"It's been quite a long time little one. Didn't expect you to come back here." His grin grew and he cackled softly, inching in a bit closer. "I was good friends with your father and mother, just call me the Undertaker."

* * *

**A/N:** Now Soma and Undertaker have appeared! Next chap, Ciel's past will finally be revealed and there will be more twists~


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N:** First chap of 2013~ Sorry about the whole author's note thing, but I appreciated the feedbacks that I got. I also didn't want to worry anyone about it, but I didn't say I was going to stop writing the fic. There's only a few chaps of this left so I can't stop now. And I suspected that Sebastian being blind was one of the problems, but if I was the reader, I would have similar feelings and not want to read for a while and maybe wait till the fic ends to see what happens. I understand that reason, but hey, it could've been worse. I could've killed Sebastian off. Well. . . I did in another fic, and I do regret that, but I did say that this fic was going to be different and I assure you that things will get better.

* * *

Undertaker handed Ciel a chipped cup of water and sat down across from him at a table. They were inside his house that was just as old and wrecked as any of the other ones. Nevertheless it was home to the strange man who never stopped smiling. Ciel glanced down at the cup and found a dead fly floating in the water. He grimaced in disgust and scooted the cup away from his reach.

"It's been about ten years since I last saw you," Undertaker exclaimed, tapping his chin with a long, broken fingernail as he thought back. "It's also been almost a decade since this place has been abandoned."

"What happened here? Tell me everything." Ciel proclaimed urgently, bringing his chair closer to the table.

"Yes, yes, of course." Undertaken remarked and leaned back on the creaking chair. "You were much too young to remember and understand, but there was a massacre here, but there was a time when no one knew why it happened. This village is in the middle of nowhere and never caused any sort of trouble, but it apparently did. The sultan from the kingdom in the east sent his guards here and immediately killed a majority of us without warning. Only a few of us like you and I were able to escape."

"Wait, the sultan's guards!?" Ciel suddenly shot up from his seat and yelled. "Why the hell did he do that!?"

"Sit down, boy, I'm not finished." Undertaker gestured Ciel to sit and he reluctantly did. "Let me tell you 'bout something that happened a while before the massacre. The queen came help some of us in need. We were a rather poor village that usually fell in all kinds of illnesses, so having the queen come to aid us was much appreciated. However, she caught our illness and eventually died. The sultan was outraged and blamed us for his wife's death, so he massacred this village."

Ciel remembered when Sebastian was telling him how outraged his father was when his mother died. So he massacred his village for revenge. Ciel felt lightheaded about this realization and was almost afraid to ask his next question, but did anyways.

"What happened to my parents?"

"Well. . ." Undertaker sighed and scratched his greasy hair. "During that night, your parents told me to take you somewhere safe. They wanted me to look after you, but I'm not good with kids. So instead, I took you to an orphanage not too far from here and then came back to see what happened. There were corpses everywhere and didn't know if there were any survivors. So I traveled several miles into the desert and found your parents. Unfortunately though . . . they were dead, both stabbed to death. It looked like they were heading to the kingdom in the west, but they were chased down and—"

_Crash! _ Ciel knocked over the cup and it collided to the floor. The broken pieces flew in the air and slammed back down with the water spilled on the floorboard. He slammed his hands on the table and stood up before storming out of the house.

Undertaken watched the boy stomp off silently before sipping some of his own cup of the murky water. He set the cup down and sighed. "I really am bad at looking after kids . . ." Undertaker got up and walked out to see where Ciel went. The boy was just outside of the house, sitting next to a tree, huddling his knees together.

"Don't talk to me." Ciel muttered, holding his knees closer and clenching his hands into fists. "I'm leaving soon anyways . . ."

" . . .You're not gonna leave without something to eat," Undertaker didn't hesitate to pull Ciel up by the arm, getting him back on his feet. He decided to drop the previous topic since Ciel end up running away from him, so he brought him back in the house, but before entering, Undertaker turned to see someone riding a camel Ciel followed Undertaker's direction and his eyes widened slightly at the newcomer.

"Look who's back from her lil' trip." Undertaker chuckled.

Doll mounted off of the camel, smiled at Undertaker but then it dropped when she saw Ciel.

"Lets get inside, I'll make something." Undertaker insisted but the two were struck speechless.

x~x~x~x~x

Soma apprehensively knocked on Sebastian's door but then stopped midway to turn to his servant, Agni.

"Are you sure no one could find him? He's not in the gardens? The backyard? In the bathroom?" Soma whispered urgently.

"No, my prince. We searched everywhere." Agni exclaimed worriedly.

Some felt a chill run up his spine when the door opened up and Sebastian was standing at the doorway. "Soma?"

Soma held his breath, refusing to say anything but he had to tell him. Sebastian usually gets angry at him for doing stupid things, but this time was serious. But how was he supposed to know that Ciel was going to run away? It wasn't his fault or anything. Soma glanced at Agni from the corner of his eye for help so the servant answered for him.

"Prince Sebastian," Agni started with a slow sigh. "Ciel has gone missing . . . he's not in his room, he's nowhere in the palace, we searched everywhere."

A surge of irritation broke through Sebastian's calm demeanor and he stomped off. He muttered something indistinctly to himself while the prince and servant followed close behind, trying to stop him.

"Sebastian! You might bump into something if you're not careful!" Some called up; running up to the prince and grabbing his shoulder. "We need to look for clues first. Where do you think he could've gone? Or . . .do you think he got kidnapped?"

Sebastian's blood ran cold as a horrible thought came to mind. Claude could've figured where they were going and sent guards to spy on them, then kidnap Ciel to bring him back to the palace.

"Soma, what route is the quickest way back to my country?" Sebastian asked quietly, not allowing his anger get to him but the way his hands were shaking Soma feared that Sebastian was going to punch him if he didn't answer.

"I can show you, but, what about our plan? We were going to set out in a few days to make a surprise impression—"

"I don't care about the plan anymore!" Sebastian yelled. "Only I can settle this with Claude now. I don't know where Ciel is, but I have a feeling Claude's behind this. So I need to get back, _now_."

Soma shuddered at the outburst but obliged nonetheless. "A—alright, but we'll still watch your back no matter what. I'll also have some backup if anything goes wrong, plus, how can we get rid of the plan? We were going to have a catapult!"

" . . . You know it would've been difficult to carry a catapult through the desert." Sebastian pointed out. "But yes, I still want you guys to come along and help me."

x~x~x~x~x

"So you two know each other, ay? Very interesting." Undertaker chuckled, immediately enthusiastic at the way Ciel and Doll were both shocked to see each other. They were sitting back at the table while Undertaker was preparing some food.

"Yeah, we do . . ." Doll replied quietly, she was excited to see Ciel but she was more upset of him for leaving her and the bandits. "Where did you go, Smile?"

"I just went away, I just had to leave." Ciel didn't want to tell her anything and refused to even speak of what had happened to her friends. He just stayed quiet but Doll kept talking, her voice growing softer.

"You made everyone worried again . . .I went looking for you for a while and then decided to give up. I came across here and met Undertaker; I decided to stay here for sometime before getting back with our group. Do you . . .have any clue where they could be?"

"No." Ciel immediately lied, turning away from Doll's gaze who gave out a solemn sigh.

"I see . . . maybe I shouldn't have left them for too long then. We should go look for them, perhaps they're waiting at the warehouse."

"Maybe . . ." Ciel shifted his eyes downward, having the execution played out in his head; he could still hear their bloodcurdling screams screeching in his head. Ciel subconsciously slammed his fist on the table, startling Doll whose head shot up in alert.

"Are you alright, Smile?" Doll asked worriedly.

"Y—yeah," Ciel released his hand and composed himself securely on the seat. "Just a headache . . ."

"I think I have something for that." Undertaker piped in, handing the duo some filthy plates with broken pieces of bread and butter in front of them. "I found some berries that may or may not be poisonous, I dunno I haven't tried them yet. But if they aren't, I'm sure you'll feel better."

"No." Ciel deadpanned and picked up a piece of bread. "I'll be fine in a few minutes anyways. I also need to go back."

"You need to eat first." Undertaker repeated. "I didn't have any utensils to spread the butter on the bread, but I used my fingers."

Doll and Ciel simultaneously dropped their bread and both stared at Undertaker awkwardly, not wanting to know where those greasy hands have been, they were definitely not washed. Undertaker just chuckled creepily; oblivious to the strange looks he was given.

"Yeah, we should get going, I've lost my appetite." Doll agreed, pushing her plate aside and getting up from the chair.

Undertaker just waved the two off as they left, calling after them to say that they're always welcome back, but Ciel wouldn't think he would ever come back to that peculiar man.

x~x~x~x~x

Ciel fell asleep during the trip back, beforehand he told Doll to keep going west but she went the other way and came back to the kingdom that he and Sebastian were running from. Doll wanted to go back there to meet up with her friends at the warehouse, but when she got there, the building was empty.

Ciel was sleeping on the camel while Doll was searching through the warehouse, checking for any signs of her missing friends.

"Joker! Anyone! Are you here?" Doll called out loudly, shouting their names out loud but no one responded.

Ciel woke up from Doll's shouts and looked around dazedly. It was nighttime so he was asleep for almost an entire day. He got up groggily and saw the familiar warehouse in front of him. A sickening sensation welled down his throat and to his stomach as Doll kept shouting her companion's names.

Ciel steadily walked up to the warehouse just as Doll was exiting it with a futile expression. "I didn't want to come back here . . ." Ciel exclaimed.

"Well I did!" Doll cried with tears building up in their eyes. "I missed them, unlike you! Was there a time, just one time that you thought of us? A time when you regretted leaving us? Can't you just think about that!? Of the people you left behind!?"

Doll never shouted like that before and it left the boy overwhelmed. He had nothing to say, and if he did he didn't know how to explain it all. Witnessing the deaths of his former companions was losing a part of himself, a part of a childhood and the closest thing to a family, and he blamed himself for it. Ciel bowed his head with his bangs brushing across his eyes with an overcast shadow hiding his expression.

Doll was taken aback, feeling guilty for her sudden eruption and decided to hug Ciel. She was slightly taller than the boy so she rested her head on top of his and mumbled a small apology for yelling.

Then Ciel stepped back, realizing that they were out of the open and from Doll's yelling; the guards could easily spot them. Ciel grabbed Doll's arm and ran down the street.

"Why are we running, Smile?" Doll asked as she was suddenly yanked and forcefully pulled alongside the boy.

"We need to hide. Damn it, you really shouldn't have brought me back here." Ciel muttered but didn't have time to argue. Ciel led her to the back of a building to catch their breaths

"What's going on?" Doll asked again, but then Ciel covered her mouth when they heard someone approaching.

Ciel peeked out from the corner of the building and saw a shadow looming across the wall. Ciel took Doll's hand again and they hurried off in the opposite direction. But before they could go any further, a dark, hooded figure jumped down from the roof of the building and knocked over Doll.

Doll fell to the ground in a heap, instantly out cold. Ciel was yanked back before he could help her and was slammed into the wall. His head collided hard with the stone material and he slumped to the ground. A searing pain scorched through the back of his head as if it cracked open. His mind blurred but before everything faded, he saw Claude approaching him with a sly smile.

* * *

**A/N:** Annnnd Ciel gets kidnapped, nice going Doll. J/K, it's not Doll's fault, getting kidnapped is like a habit for him in both canon and fics. But Sebastian's coming to the rescue so no worries.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N:** Alright, this is the final chapter to Diamond in the Rough. There won't be a sequel and I apologize again for it. I want to state again that: the last two chapters weren't that good, especially 24 since there wasn't much of a climax and I'm sure I disappointed a lot of you. I should've done more with it and decided, for some dumb reason, to do something else. But now I want to go with my previous plan and end the fic the way I originally wanted. If I continue with the sequel, it would only seem like I'm unnecessarily dragging the story out when the main plot is already finished, so it wouldn't be that good. The fic is long enough and I think I should just wrap it up with one more chapter. So here's the last chapter, enjoy.

* * *

Ciel's head ached against something cold and hard. His eyes slowly creaked open, but they were clouded. He blinked weakly, slowly adjusting himself as he tried to move, but only fell back. His arms were bounded by chains and were held upward. The rest of his body was slumped on marble floor, the coldness harsh on his bare skin.

It took a moment to realize where he was. Ciel was in the throne room of the palace, held against the throne. The candles that usually lit the chamber were all out. Instead, a dense stream of the moon's pale light broke through the windows above and spilled onto the black marble, as well as a particular instrument.

The brazen bull was situated in the very center of the room. Its brass metal blazed in a blend of gold and brown, revealing its entity in a disturbingly beautiful manner. Below the bull was a small pit of logs, just waiting to be drench in flames. The bull looked as if it could come to life, but it stayed immobilized with a halo of light glazing it.

Behind the bull was Claude seated at the throne. The new sultan was drumming his fingers on the armrest, while the other was clutching the chains that bounded Ciel's arms. Claude was unaware of Ciel's awakening; instead, he was more focused on the double doors on the other side of the chamber. He had been waiting patiently for Sebastian's arrival for sometime.

Claude had dressed up for the occasion. He wore a silk black and gold cloak with the length falling over the steps. He was also wearing Ciel's ring that adorned his finger. A gold machete with a ruby handle was strapped to his belt, partially hidden in the shadows. He decided not to wear his glasses this evening. Without those frames made his gold eyes stand out more, burning like the burning textures of the bull.

Ciel groaned subtly from his throbbing head, catching the attention of the sultan who's head perked up just slightly.

"So you're awake."

Ciel kept his eyes on the floor, his hands were trembling with the weight of the shackles and his legs were numb beneath him. But then he noticed the brazen bull just as the final patches of blurriness slipped away. Ciel's stomach churned and the throbbing in his head grew harsher.

Unable to concentrate on any reasonable thoughts but to get away, Ciel pulled on the chains harshly to get them out of Claude's grasp, but it was futile. Claude effortlessly yanked the chains back and Ciel slammed into the throne's side. He let out a yelp before sliding back down to the rough floor. The impact was profound, resulting in a larger migraine and nearly resulted in another concussion.

Ciel struggled to hoist himself up, but only sat against the throne, breathing harshly as he stared frightfully at the brazen bull. The bull was facing him with hollow eyes staring back. The snarls that emitted from the bull echoed in Ciel's head as he reminisced back to the executions he witnessed. His body shook and nausea overwhelmed him. A sickening stir took effect and he bent over, forcing out a ball of vomit that spluttered the floor.

Claude made a sound of disgust and scrunched his nose. "I just had that floor polished, how repulsive."

Ciel glared up at Claude, a sheer impulse of rage built up inside him as he once again tried to break away from his bonds. Claude sighed and easily pulled him back. Ciel avoided from getting hit again and just fell to the side, missing the throne by a few inches.

"I suggest you stay where you are, you're just being reckless." Claude suggested with a sneer. His eyes didn't leave the doors and his fingers kept drumming the armrest. The small drumming echoed faintly against the glassy silver of the throne, transitioning to a small pattern that repeated over and over.

While Claude was focused on the doors, Ciel was focused on the bull, unable to tear his frightful gaze from it. The drumming of Claude's fingers mimicked the sound of the boy's heart. Beating loud and clear in his ears, surpassing all other noise. Ciel scooted back till he was unable to by the length of the chains. The chains were fairly short, so he could only move in such a limited space.

Ciel's arms strained in the position they were in and he drew out another groan. He eyed the doors now, but then heard the subtle sound of footsteps approaching nearby. His head swirled around while Claude eyed the newcomer idly.

A gray hooded figure walked across the room, holding a torch blazing with a reddish orange flame in his hand. The light brightened the room and made Ciel grow hesitant as he eyed the logs under the bull. But then his eyebrows perked up in suspicion when he spotted familiar, turquoise eyes beneath the hood. Before Ciel could gain a better look, the person bowed to Claude before getting permission to rise back up.

"Are all the guards on standby?" Claude asked.

"Yes, they're all ready." The person proposed, he sounded quite young and his voice further held Ciel's suspicion. The person turned to face Ciel, pulling over his hood to reveal that it was Alois.

"Hey, long time no see." Alois chuckled a bit too cheerfully. He came over to Ciel and crotched down, looking at him face to face. "What a coincidence to see you here. How have you been? Oh, wait, that's a bad question to ask, isn't it?" Alois cocked his head, a devilish grin spreading across his lips. The flames highlighted his face, making his eyes shimmer vigorously.

"What are you doing here?" Ciel asked.

"I could ask the same thing," Alois licked the corner of his lips, his smile faltering. "But if you must know, after you left me in the streets, I decided not to go back to the orphanage either. So I became a wanderer in the desert. Soon enough, I came across here; I was in quite an annoyed mood being in the desert for such a long time, that I killed someone in order to steal his food.

"Claude witnessed me do this, and liked how emotionless I was throughout the whole ordeal. Even when the blood was still on my fingers, I didn't show any remorse. Perhaps it was because I never had any good interaction with people that I couldn't feel anything. So Claude decided to make me his personal bodyguard. No one else knew that I was around besides the prince; I was like his shadow, making sure that everything goes as planned."

"Wait," Ciel paused, realization hitting him as he remembered his dream from weeks ago. "Were you the one . . . who blinded Sebastian?"

Alois's smile returned and a newfound anger swelled up inside Ciel. Alois leaned in closer till they were just inches apart. "Originally I was going to kill him, but that would've been far too easy. Claude wanted him dead though, but wouldn't it be fun if he suffered for a while till we finally finish him off?

Ciel's eyes widened and he pulled himself back, but the chains forbid him from going any further. Fortunately the chains didn't stop Ciel from striking Alois's chin with his foot.

"Agh!" Alois fell back, plummeting to the floor. Shock scorched through his body at the collision, nearly dropping the torch that he kept hold of. Alois rubbed his stinging chin and whimpered, but that didn't last long. Ciel didn't feel satisfied enough and wanted to kick him again, but Alois stomped over with the flames in front, ready to burn him right there.

"Not now." Claude halted calmly, his tone monotone as always. A hand was outstretched while the other was resting over the machete. The double doors were starting to open, emitting a creak that echoed and ceased everything. "He's here."

"Sebas—" Ciel faltered when the prince came into view. The doors slammed shut behind him and there was absolute silence. Sebastian stood there with a different air to him. He was angrier than he ever was, but kept himself composed. He was armed with a machete despite not seeing, but he knew that he needed to end this now.

"It's nice to see you again, brother." Claude greeted, his fingers running across the handle of the machete in a gradual pace. "Are you doing well?"

Sebastian stayed quiet, listening closely to anything in particular around him. He could hear the crackling of flames close by and some breathing, but couldn't detect anything else.

"If you're wondering if your servant is here, he is." Claude suddenly released the chains, surprising Ciel who startled when the chains clanked to his side. Claude looked over at Ciel and stated simply. "Go over there."

Ciel hesitated and tore his eyes away from the sultan. He leisurely got up, legs at the brink of collapsing and arms feeble from the chains. Ciel started forward, passing the brazen bull and walked over to Sebastian. Ciel was shivering allover with the chains trailing behind him. He breathed in and out slowly, taking each step lightly as sweat broke out from his face. It was far too quiet, like time was standing still and he was the only thing moving.

Sebastian reached for Ciel and the boy found his last bit of strength to rush into his arms; Sebastian held Ciel securely and focused back on Claude.

"What are you doing, Claude?" Sebastian inquired with suspicion laced in his tone that grew deeper. His eyebrows furrowed and his hold on Ciel tightened.

"I thought we could have a little deal," Claude remarked, a small smile playing at his lips. "I handed back your servant . . .but now you have to accept me as your ruler. And if you don't, I'll throw your servant into the brazen bull. But if you do accept, I'll leave you two alone."

Claude stood up from the throne and stepped down from the stairs. His long cloak trailed behind, sweeping the floor before he stopped next to the bull. "It's obvious that you want to protect your servant, so I suggest you get down on your knees and bow."

Sebastian's jaw tightened and his lips formed a long line that refused to waver and open to protest. But the prince had no choice; despite that this was the utmost humiliation for him. Sebastian moved away from Ciel, but made sure he was still at his side. The boy watched wordlessly as the prince reluctantly came on his knees. Resentment was well evident on his face; he could imagine the smirk that was crossing his brother's face. How much joy the sultan was having now, a moment that he had been waiting for practically a lifetime.

"Don't forget to bow your head," Claude reminded, his sly smirk growing. Ciel balled his hands into fists, wanting to punch Claude but knew he couldn't do anything but watch as Sebastian bowed his head.

"You may rise." Claude gestured a hand upward and Sebastian came back to his feet. "See, that wasn't so hard was it?" Claude hummed; walking closer to Sebastian with a smirk still etched on his face. His golden eyes were twinkling with delight.

"Just let us go." Sebastian muttered.

"Hmmm," Claude contemplated on the matter, his smile vanished and was replaced by a scowl. He hummed some more as he cracked his knuckles quite loudly. "I don't think so." The instant that was said, Claude plunged a fist into Sebastian's face, causing him to crash hard to the ground.

"Sebastian!" Ciel yelled, whirling his feet around but the chains locked to his hands were snatched by Claude, yanking him back. Ciel nearly toppled over, catching his balance but Claude ruthlessly pulled the chains, drawing him towards the brazen bull.

"Let go of me!" Ciel struggled to get out of Claude's grasp, but was too weak to fight back. Alois opened up the hinged door and watched enthusiastically as Ciel was being hauled. Ciel desperately reached for Sebastian who was recovering from the impact. Hearing the boy's screams threw the prince back on his feet.

"Ciel!" Sebastian ran forward, drawing out his machete that sliced at the air as he darted, his legs dashing quickly, but—

"_SEBASTIAN!_" Ciel's scream tore through the chamber as he was tossed into the brazen bull. It was followed by the loud bang of the door as it slammed shut, barely giving Ciel any time to escape.

Ciel's desperate cries couldn't be heard from within the bull due to the thick metal, though the boy was currently banging at the sides, trying with all his might to get out as he panicked and shouted. His fear was becoming a reality and all he could do was scream.

The shock that Sebastian felt was indescribable. It was a raw, overwhelming sensation that provoked a mixture of rage and animosity. His body shook in a way that he never dealt with before and his mind was racing. His head swirled to Claude's direction when he heard him laugh maniacally.

"It's not like I could let you two walk away so easily. And you're right; I'm not good at keeping promises. Start the fire, Alois." Claude gave a brief nod for Alois to proceed.

"CLAUDE!" Sebastian gained back his strength to charge, just as Alois lit the fire underneath the bull. The flames blazed quickly, consuming the logs and rising up to run across the bull's stomach, heating it up.

Claude finally drew out his machete and slashed the blade forward, but Sebastian listened closely to the movement of the blade and dodged downward before striking the blade at the sultan. Claude blocked the blade, a metallic sound screeched as they collided.

Sebastian jumped back, but then heard Alois's feet running towards him. The boy was armed with a knife, but Sebastian struck his hand out and grabbed a firm grip on the blade despite that it sliced his skin. He twisted the knife around, along with Alois's hand and forced out a crack as his wrist fractured.

"Ah!" Alois yelped and dropped the knife, which clattered to the floor. He whimpered as he rubbed his wrist and glared at Sebastian who was busy dealing with Claude. The sultan rushed at him again, but Sebastian was effortlessly blocking his attacks with his acute hearing and reflexes. Being blind made him more aware of his other senses, giving him a greater advantage.

The brazen bull soon let out a deep snarl that replaced the boy's screams as he was being burnt inside. Ciel was breathing into the tube, clutching in desperation to the brass as the small chamber grew hotter and hotter. His skin was shredding, exposing muscles and leaking out blood. The pain was insufferable and the air was growing heavier. His eyes watered, blurring his vision and his screaming ripped through his drying throat.

The blades clashed with each other as the brothers fought around the chamber. Sebastian concentrated where he needed to attack, but the sultan didn't give him anytime as he constantly cut the air with the blade. Lunacy was glazed in the sultan's eyes; his calm demeanor present before was long gone as his true colors finally showed. He was laughing, but not too loudly so that he could still hear the bull's mutilated snarls that were like music to his ears.

Sebastian couldn't stand the sound; his sense of hearing was keener so the noise was much louder as it made his head throb tremendously. He couldn't imagine the traumatic pain that the boy was going through right now. Thinking about it made him sick and angrier as time was running out.

Alois regained his composure after the injury, ignoring the pain and held out his uninjured hand. He placed his fingers to his lips and let out a high-pitched whistle. Sebastian paused as he listened while Claude halted as well and smirked.

The whistling was followed by a march of feet. Fairly soon, all of the guards circled around the chamber. They were all armed, ready to attack Sebastian. He was completely surrounded in a full circle, unable to run.

The guards waited for their command, but Claude was quiet, approaching the bull with a triumphant smile. He gently patted the metal, drumming his fingers alongside the brass. The snarls dispersed and the only sound provided were the hungry and cackling flames.

"This is such a shame, brother . . .if you didn't get so attached to that boy, perhaps things could've been different. This was why father lost trust in you and gave me the throne instead. You became weak and a great disappointment. Now you're far too late to redeem yourself. Do you have any last words?"

"Just get Ciel out of the bull." Sebastian demanded, hand gripping the handle of the blade till the knuckles started to turn white.

Claude shrugged. "I might as well anyways, he already stopped screaming." he unhooked the door and a stream of smoke flew out. Claude pulled a limp Ciel out before letting him slump to the floor. A majority of his skin was torn; revealing so many burns scrapped through his flesh. He was severely charred and almost unrecognizable. His breathing was labored, struggling to catch oxygen as his heart rate slowed.

"It's unfortunate that you can't see how broken your servant is right now," Claude said, looking down at the boy callously. "But all you see is nothing, and that's what you are going to be. Guards." Claude gestured his head towards the guards, but then a loud noise penetrated the air and shook the chamber.

_Thump! Thump! Thump! _The floor was trembling and the guards were looking around frantically with stunned expressions. Then the doors barged open and some of the guards were harshly pushed aside.

"Charge!" A particular prince exclaimed as an elephant stormed into the chamber. Soma was riding the elephant as it unraveled trunk and let out a boasting noise that quaked everything.

Everyone stared wide-eyed as the elephant charged in, stomping across the marble and startling the guards. Alois on the other hand was amazed by the size of the creature but almost got himself trampled.

"Alright," Soma pulled out his own machete and aimed it at no one in particular. "Drop your weapons unless you want to be crushed!"

Claude was taken aback for a second, but then burst into laughter that boomed and bounced the walls. Soma lowered his blade and glared at the sultan who was clearly amused.

"Really? A spoiled prince and an elephant? Don't tell me this is your backup plan, Sebastian?" Claude forced out another laugh and it just came out as awkward.

"That's not all." Soma remarked, smile forming as another set of marching approached. Soma's personal army came storming into the chamber, positioned to attack when ready but Soma held their fire. The army was small, consisting of about thirty muscled men but they were all huge and armed.

"Now, I really don't want to start a war here," Soma huffed, eyeing his men and back to Claude. "So I suggest that you drop down from your throne and allow Sebastian to take it."

"Why should this matter to you?" Claude inquired.

"Because Sebastian's my friend and he doesn't deserve to be ruled under your tyranny. You would use your power to torment people and make them fear you. As for Sebastian, he'll do the opposite so that the country can be safe from horrible people like you."

Claude clicked his tongue, tilting his head slowly to the side as he glared up at the prince. There was lack of any emotion in his eyes but it was evident that a nerve was struck. The sultan brought up his machete and pointed it at Soma.

"I guess a war sounds reasonable then. Guards—"

"Don't!" Sebastian called, yelling over Claude's voice who faltered and glared at his brother. "This is between you and me, Claude. We need to end this without breaking into a war."

"Humph," Claude tilted his head to the other side, but this time it emitted a subtle crack. "You're right, we do need to end this. And we should do this, now." Claude eyed Alois, and swiftly before anyone could blink, the boy rushed towards Sebastian with a knife.

Sebastian swirled around, blade in front to shield himself but suddenly, Alois was stopped. His foot was caught, halting his action. Alois looked down and saw a barely conscious Ciel gripping his foot with the last strand of his strength.

Ciel slowly raised his head up, panting unevenly with his hand shaking but was about to lose grip. "Don't . . .hurt him . . ."

"Ha!" Alois laughed and grabbed the ripped collar of the boy's shirt, pulling him up. "Do you think you can stop me? You're just a little piece of—ugh!" Alois gasped and dropped Ciel, returning him back to unconsciousness. Alois staggered to the side, bending over as blood spluttered from his mouth.

Sebastian had stabbed Alois through the back, driving the blade deep till his spine cracked open. The prince's eyes narrowed coldly and he ripped the blade out. Alois was already dead before he fell to the floor in a heap. The prince faced Claude again, striking the blade in front of the sultan who showed no remorse to the fallen boy.

"Now, I suggest you go on your knees, unless you want to suffer the same fate as him." Sebastian warned.

"Don't think the death of my bodyguard would make me change anything. You're just being pathetic now."

"Am I?" Sebastian inquired, his tone hardened, no sense of any warmth in his chilling voice. "Or is it you?"

Claude scoffed and glanced at the guards, about to order them to attack but they were all hesitating. The guards exchanged glances to each other, whispering incoherent words. After a moment, the guards nodded before they dropped their weapons, startling Claude.

One guard stepped up, clearing his throat before speaking. "Sire . . .we believe that prince Sebastian and prince Soma have stated reasonable explanations about your ruling."

"What!?" Claude barked. "How could you agree with them!? Are you betraying your sultan?"

"Yes." The guard stated firmly.

Claude's eyes widened drastically and he took a few steps back. "You traitors . . .how could you do this to your ruler? Are you all begging to be roasted in the bull?" The sultan yelled, but knew that he was outnumbered. The guards walked towards him, but Claude made a run for it. He slashed at a couple of guards, killing them instantly with the blow before disappearing down the hallway. The guards were about to chase him, but Sebastian stopped them.

"I'm going after him myself!" Sebastian exclaimed.

"But, prince—" another guard was cut off but Sebastian darted forward, listening to the sound of Claude's running feet and following them as he departed the chamber.

Sebastian rushed down the hallway, navigating through with some difficultly but continued onward nevertheless. The prince headed further downs the hall, turning to familiar corners a few times as he listened attentively for any movement.

Sebastian then slowed his pace and just walked, drawing out his machete again and striding down another hallway before entering a room. It was the room that held the countless shelves that were filled with poisonous spiders. The shelves stood tall, housing the spiders that were trapped in their glass cases.

The prince reached out a hand, touching one of the glass cases and accidently slid it off of the self. The glass shattered and sent the spider flying out before latching itself on one of the bottom shelves.

Sebastian stepped back, avoiding the spider that was probably staring back at him in bitterness for destroying its home.

"You really shouldn't be so careless," Claude's voice rung coldly in the air. "You might get bitten." With that said, Claude knocked over one of the shelves, followed by the one in front of Sebastian.

Sebastian backed away and the shelves fell on top of each other, creating a loud collision. Claude jumped over the fallen structures and charged at Sebastian. The prince was able to block again successfully, but was pushed back against another shelf. Claude pushed his blade closer; the blades slide against the other, producing another metallic screech.

Sebastian grasped the blade with both hands and shoved Claude aside. He moved from the shelf to gain more room. Sebastian charged this time, swinging his machete at lightning speed that it knocked Claude's blade out of his hands. The machete spiraled overhead before landing at an unknown direction.

The prince faced Claude's direction and aimed his machete where he believed his head was. Claude was caught frozen for a sec, but then composed himself and smiled.

"So you're really going to kill me?" Claude inquired; he took a step forward and opened his arms. "Do it then, kill your last family member."

Sebastian gripped the handle tightly and frowned, eyebrows knitted and his body stiffened temporarily. Claude was allowing himself to be killed by his own brother, but Sebastian didn't see him as such anymore.

The prince dashed forward, arm swung back with the blade reflected by the moon's light. A surge of energy coursed through him, but time seemed to slow down when the blade was brought forward. But just when that happened, Claude brought out a hidden knife without Sebastian's acknowledgment and pierced through his stomach.

Blood seeped out of the prince's mouth and he shoved himself away before the knife drove deeper. He staggered back before hitting the wall, holding the wound before sliding to the ground. Blood continued to meander from his lips and dripped onto his paling hands.

Claude chuckled and it slipped into a loud laugh. His feet crunched upon broken shards of glass as he walked over. "This is quite a pitiful end for you . . .well, luckily you can meet your little servant in the afterlife, I'm sure he doesn't have much time to live either."

Sebastian panted and he grew lightheaded. He struggled to get up, but only slipped back to the floor. He pressed his hand down on the wound, trying to stop the bleeding but more blood flowed out of the cracks of his fingers. Claude's laughter rung in his throbbing head, but he couldn't allow it to be the last thing he hears.

Sebastian strained himself to pull his body up. He leaned against the wall, his panting growing rigid. He took a step forward and then another, clutching the wound while also holding his machete.

Claude watched with interest, amused to see his brother struggling and knew he would just fell over if he took another step, but he didn't. Sebastian continued to walk forward; his heart rate was slowing and his body was shaking, but he moved along anyways.

The sultan just laughed and raised his machete, ready to finish this for good. But before his blade could strike, Sebastian attacked first. He shoved his blade deep into Claude's chest, breaking through the ribs and cutting open the heart. Claude gasped, eyes rolling and mouth falling agape.

"You . . . were never my brother." Sebastian proclaimed with labored breaths. Claude eyed him shockingly, about to speak but Sebastian tore the sword out of the sultan's chest. Claude reached out but fell to the ground; arms sprawled apart with his eyes widened open in disbelief.

Sebastian wheezed some more and backed away till hitting the wall again. He dropped the blade before collapsing back down, dizziness overwhelming him once more. The last thing he heard were shouts and footsteps running towards him.

x~x~x~x~x

Sunlight streamed through the window, giving off a soft ivory hue that highlighted the room. The room was warm and a calm wind flew passed, tickling Sebastian's nose as he began to stir. Chatter was evident in the background and it annoyed the prince as he shuffled under the blanket.

"Oh! Prince Sebastian is finally waking up!" Finny's voice piped up.

"Well it's 'bout time." Bard's voice followed. .

"He needed his rest, yes, especially after the surgery!" Meyrin's voice finally exclaimed with enthusiasm.

_Surgery? _ Sebastian opened his eyes and the sun's light stung him. He shut his eyes again, taking a moment to adjust himself before repeating the action. Sebastian found himself in his room, surrounded by his servants who were all smiling. Meyrin and Finny nearly burst into tears while Bard looked a bit sentimental, but refused to show it. Tanaka was there too, wiping away a few tears as he sighed in relief.

Sebastian could see again.

Sebastian stared out in astonishment, taking his time to adjust himself before speaking. "What happened?"

"You're been out for three days,," Tanaka exclaimed. He pulled up a chair and sat near the bedside. He folding his hands on his lap and drew in a breath. "Claude held us in the dungeon when you and Ciel were gone. But Prince Soma helped us out when the commotion was over. He told us what happened, after that; we got you and Ciel medical help right away. Your wound wasn't fatal and is now healing. As for your eyes, I recommended that you get surgery, but we didn't know whether you could still see afterwards."

"There is a bit of blurriness nearby, though," Sebastian remarked, blinking a few times. "Other than that, I think I'm fine. But, what about Ciel?"

The servants exchanged glances, provoking an unease silence till Tanaka spoke up again. He cleared his throat before continuing. "Ciel was fatally burnt and he hasn't woken up yet. It will be a long time till he fully recovers but . . .there's the chance that he might not."

Sebastian sat up on the bed, about to get up till an aching pain scorched upon his wound. He placed a hand to the area and groaned subtly before laying back against the headboard. "I need to see him."

"I don't think it would be a good idea," Tanaka stated. "He's in a really critical condition and you yourself need more time to recover."

Sebastian ignored Tanaka's words and pulled himself off the headboard, grabbing the wall to support himself as he got up.

"You shouldn't get up!" Meyrin cried; rushing over to Sebastian but the prince looked at her sternly, copper eyes blazing.

"Just tell me where he is." Sebastian exclaimed; his other hand was clutching the wound. It was hurting him but he didn't care.

"Sire . . ." Tanaka started, but couldn't counter the prince who was now staggering towards the door. He was still adjusting to his eyes while trying not to strain the pain any further.

The prince ventured down the hall while the servants told him that he should turn back, but Sebastian simply ignored their comments and continued onward. Tanaka showed where Ciel was, but was concern about how the prince was going to handle it.

When Sebastian entered the room, he was taken aback; nearly losing his posture but took small steps forward. He heard Meyrin and Finny sobbing softly behind him, he payed no attention to them, but to the broken body in front, lying in the bed.

Every inch of the boy's body—saved for his cracked lips, nostrils and eyelids—were wrapped in bandages. Healing burns wasn't common here, so it was difficult for the doctors to know what to do. He was given all sorts of treatment to help the burns to go away, but he was still locked a catatonic state. It was a surprise that he was still breathing now.

"Ciel . . ." Sebastian slowly walked up to the bedside, taking gradual steps as an unknown weight pressed down upon him. His wound was hurting so much like it was going to open up. He remembered the overwhelming sensation of the stab wound, but now the wound was piercing his chest.

Sebastian picked up the boy's small, bandaged hand and curled his fingers around the knuckles. He caressed the hand softly, but couldn't feel anything but the white bandages woven around the hand.

Sebastian glanced over at the servants who were standing quietly at the doorway. "Can you leave us for a bit?"

The servants nodded in understanding and left the room, leaving Sebastian alone. Though, they were concern about Sebastian's condition as well, but knew they should just leave him be for now.

The prince sat at the edge of the bed, brushing a thumb over the hand and hating how he couldn't feel his skin. The bandages were smooth, but it wasn't the same texture and warmth.

Sebastian stayed with Ciel for a while; holding his hand and watching him in hopes he'll wake. But Ciel's eyes stayed closed, unable to open. His body was still and fragile, small and weak. Ciel feared for this to happen and Sebastian failed to prevent it.

He lowered his gaze, jaw tightening and eyes narrowed as he remembered the bull's snarls that replaced the boy's screams. It was so loud and clear in his head, ringing repeatedly until they finally died out. At that time, he thought he was too late. And now, Sebastian might truly lose him.

"Sire," Sebastian glanced over and saw Tanaka returning back to the doorway, but this time he was holding something in his palm. Tanaka walked over to the prince, revealing that it was Ciel's ring. "This was in Claude's possession."

Sebastian picked up the ring; the blue diamond still held its glossiness. He then placed the ring onto Ciel's left thumb, making sure it fit securely. Sebastian kept hold of the hand, clasping both of his over the smaller one.

Tanaka came back to the doorway, watching silently before speaking in a soft voice. "You love him, don't you?"

Sebastian's head perked up in surprise and he turned to the old servant who was smiling by the prince's reaction. Sebastian focused back on Ciel, taking a moment as his grip on the boy's hand tightened.

"Yes . . ." Sebastian subtly nodded, his eyes softened and his gaze never left Ciel. Tanaka had the hunch for quite some time, but decided not to speak further. Instead, he left Sebastian alone with Ciel since that's what the prince wanted.

Sebastian watched over the boy for a long time. Minutes transitioned to hours and Sebastian didn't realize that the evening was approaching till the remnants of the sun's light slipped into the room. The light highlighted their features, making them more animated but neither stirred.

The prince just moved his head on occasion, focusing on either the boy's calm face or his hand. But besides that, the prince barely moved a muscle.

Before the last portions of light disappeared, Sebastian leaned down and placed a small kiss on the boy's eyelid. He then got up and proceeded to leave the room, but not before taking one last, somber look at Ciel.

He closed the door shut to give the boy privacy before walking down the hall. He approached his room, but then a familiar voice piped up from behind.

"You're finally awake!" Some exclaimed, running up to the prince's side. "I was looking after the palace while you were out. Everything seems to be good so far. Oh, and your guards need to apologize for threatening your life, but being under direct order by Claude doesn't exactly cut it. Should they be punished, or . . . ?"

"No, I'll properly settle this soon enough," Sebastian remarked. "I really appreciated your help, I can handle it from here now."

"Alright," Soma stretched his arms and folded them behind his head. "Glad that Agni and I could help. But can we stay until Ciel wakes up? We want to make sure he's fine before we leave."

"I guess . . . it's going to be a while, though."

"I figured, it has been a few days now. How are you doing?" Soma asked.

"My eyes are still a bit blurry, but it'll take time to adjust. And my wound is healing, it still hurts but it isn't that bad."

"Great!" Soma beamed a white smile. "I'm going to tell Agni to make his special curries tonight!" Soma started to march off, but then a flash of orange and black zoomed through the hall and pounced on Sebastian before he noticed.

"Ah!" Sebastian fell on his back with Sabirah frantically licking his face. The tiger was extremely excited to see that her master was awake and was now slobbering allover him. Sebastian laughed but had to gently push the tiger away before she punctured his wound. The prince got up, but Sabirah tried to pounce on him again.

"She really missed you!" Soma laughed as well, holding his stomach that was aching from laughing so hard. He wiped away a few tears but continued to laugh. "Sabirah always came to sleep on your bedside and kept licking your hand. She also wandered into Ciel's room to check on him, but we had to get her out incase she pounced on him. And of course her cubs wanted to know what was going on so they kept going to both of your rooms too."

Sebastian smiled and patted the cheerful tiger on the head. Sabirah licked his hand, producing another long trail of saliva before pouncing him once more.

x~x~x~x~x

A week passed, but Ciel hadn't woken up. In the past days, Sebastian always went to Ciel's room to check on him. He held his hand and talked briefly to him, but could never get a response back. The boy's body remained still; he was almost lifeless. The only sort of movement was his subtle breathing, but it was barely noticeable with the layers of bandages covering him.

He contacted the doctors to see if there was anything else they could do, but there wasn't. The only option was to just hope that Ciel at least wakes up, but the boy stayed in a catatonic state. When Sebastian was out of the room, he had one of the servants to look after them. Sometimes Agni and Soma came in on occasion, Soma told jokes to Ciel to lighten the mood each time they visited, but he always ended up being the only one laughing.

At the end of the week, Sebastian was preparing his coronation speech, but he had trouble concentrating. The assembly was the next day, but all he could think about was Ciel's wellbeing.

Sebastian crumbled up his fifth piece of parchment and tossed it over his shoulder. He slumped back on the chair and glanced at his desk. The bottle of ink was almost empty and he was running out of paper. Sebastian idly fiddled with his quill, pulling at the feather till plucking out a few strands.

Sebastian looked around his room till spotting the ney settled on a stand. A small smile was brought up and he picked up the woodwind. The texture was smooth, but it was a bit cold due to its lack of usage. Sebastian reminisced back to the times when Ciel played it to him. The soft melody flew by like a passing wind, a delicate and sweet sounding tune. Now the prince decided to play it for the boy.

Sebastian walked down the empty halls of the palace. The sun was just starting to set, shooting out reddish gold rays from the windows. The servants were busy with their tasks, but their obnoxious antics have settled down. Meyrin hasn't broken anything, Bard hasn't blown anything up, and Finny hasn't accidently cut off any bushes. They were doing their jobs respectfully and it made the palace quiet and peaceful. Though on occasion, Soma is seen being chased around by Sabirah, but other than that; it was much tranquil.

When Sebastian reached Ciel's room, he sat down at the chair next to the bedside, adjusting himself before turning to the boy. Ciel was of course in the same resting position, breathing softly. Most of the bandages on his face were removed, revealing signs of progress on his skin. The tissues were gradually repairing, but there's no doubt that the skin's going to leave scars.

Sebastian sat back on the chair and put his lips to the mouthpiece of the ney. Gently, he blew into the instrument and the soothing melody glided out. The music caught the attention of Soma who was passing by the room, but he paused to listen. Soma kept quiet and had his head poking into the room.

It wasn't long till the other servants heard the music too. They all came to the doorway, head sitting on top of the other and squished, but couldn't help but listen to the prince's composition. They smiled, enjoying the sound and didn't want it to stop. The music was sublime, but stressed a hint of melancholy as Sebastian played.

Sebastian played till stars started to poke out from the sky. The sun was nothing more than a thin, red line across the dark blue and purple horizon. The servants and Soma didn't leave their spots at the doorway; instead they continued to listen with attentive ears.

As the prince approached the end of the tune,, something caught Finny's eye and he gasped lightly. He caught the attention of the prince who was annoyed at the interruption, but his annoyance wavered when he heard a small groan behind him.

Ciel was starting to stir, his head subtly turned to the side and his fingers twitched, followed by his arms. After a moment, Ciel's eyes opened up and he was greeted by everyone now circled around his bed. The boy blinked a few times, looking at each individual before turning to Sebastian.

"I . . ." Ciel started feebly with slow breaths. "I can play better than that."

Sebastian chuckled lightly. "Really? Last time I checked you kept on messing up."

"At least I tried to make it sound more uplifting. Your composition sounded like a funeral."

"That wasn't the intention."

"Whatever," Ciel let out a small sigh, "I'm . . .glad to be back." He glanced at his bandaged up body and he cringed at the last memories before blacking out. He stared in mild shock, but his tremor vanished when he felt Sebastian's hand wrapping around his own. Ciel turned to Sebastian who was giving him an assuring smile.

"It's all over now, everything will be alright." Sebastian proclaimed.

Everyone nodded in agreement; the remnants of the sun's light were on them and it made their smiles stand out. Their relieved faces gave Ciel comfort and he couldn't help but smile back.

". . .Finally."

x~x~x~x~x

The following day, the throne chamber was filled with people while Sebastian was seated at the throne, wearing ceremonial attire with many rich jewels and accessories embedded on his scarlet robes.

Sebastian glanced at his audience, acknowledging each of them before speaking in a calm tone. He avoided from sounding tyrannical, instead he kept a composed demeanor as he spoke.

"These past few weeks have been difficult for all of us, but I assure you now, as your new sultan, I will stabilize this country the way it should be. Claude failed to rule this kingdom, so I have taken his place. He was using his power greedily, only caring for himself and wanted to follow my father's wishes.

"However, my father's wishes weren't something that I wholeheartedly agreed with. He wanted to torment people to prevent war from breaking out. But there are other ways to prevent a war from happening, and torturing people isn't an option. The brazen bull has been destroyed, and I'm not allowing any other devices to enter this country's boundaries. I'm not going to use fear and violence against anyone, that's what my father and Claude wanted. I'm not like them, so starting today, things are going to be different. I'll make sure it's safer and peaceful here."

A roar of applause followed as well as cheers from Soma who whistled loudly. Sebastian ignored Soma and focused on everyone else. They were all smiling and were pleasantly satisfied. Sebastian sighed, grateful that the chamber didn't erupt in chaos. He continued on with his speech when everyone quieted.

When the speech was over, everyone went into the dinning hall for a feast. It wasn't a massive one, but just a friendly gathering with the nobles around the city. The only person who wasn't there was Ciel who was still recovering in bed. He had trouble moving his body and it would've been a while till he was able to walk again.

During the feast, Sebastian excused himself for a few minutes to check on Ciel. The boy was seated on the bed; Ali was on his lap, purring softly while Ciel petted him. Ciel glanced out the window; the sun's light bathed his features and made his eyes sparkle.

"Ciel," Sebastian walked into the room, he had a plate of food in his hands and brought it over to the boy. "I brought you some food."

"Thanks . . ." Ciel mumbled, taking the plate and glancing at the food. He carefully scooped up some rice and ate it. His limbs were still weak, but he could at least manage. When he was done a majority of it, he placed the plate on the nightstand and turned to Sebastian who was petting the sleeping cub on the head.

". . .I never," Ciel gulped down softly when it felt like something was in his throat, preventing him from speaking but he mustered. "I never got to thank you properly . . .for saving me, not just once but a few times now . . ."

Sebastian smiled. "You've saved my life too."

"Yeah . . ." Ciel's face heated up and he turned away. "You know . . . there were a few times, when I was out, that I was aware of what was going on, but I was unable to wake up. I heard a lot of voices, Soma's voice especially and it got annoying. But . . .I heard your conversation with Tanaka."

Ciel turned back to Sebastian, his cheeks flushed more and he lightly bit his lip. "I always thought you were just messing with me, but, is that true?"

"Of course," Sebastian cupped Ciel's face and brought him in a bit closer. "I never lie, you already know that." a small smile crossed his lips and his eyes softened. Those copper eyes that Ciel had missed caught the sun's light in them.

"I . . ." Ciel lowered his gaze; the sound of his heart beating was audible to his ears. "I. . . feel the same way."

Sebastian lent a finder under the boy's chin and lifted it up so that they were facing each other again. "Then I suppose you would like to stay with me forever then. Not as a servant, though, but by my side."

"As long as I don't have to wear another dress." Ciel frowned slightly.

"Of course, but then we'll have to tell everyone that you're not a girl, and that'll take a lot of explaining."

"And who's fault was that?"

Sebastian simply chuckled and pulled Ciel in for a kiss.

x~x~x~x~x

Another week passed, Ciel was able to walk, but had to support himself with a cane. The cane was half his size, it was made out of wood and was quite slender. He always had to have it around him, if not then he would end up tripping. It was unknown when he would be able to walk properly again, but all that really mattered was that he was alive.

One day while Ciel was looking out the window with the cane by his side, he felt a sort of pain that wouldn't go away. It was lingering in his chest, like his heartstrings were being pulled. It wasn't till later, when his mind drifted to the executions of Joker and the others, that what he was feeling was guilt. The boy thought he already dealt with this, but apparently he didn't. Despite that his body was recovering, it would be longer for his mindset to do so, or rather, if it ever will.

He asked Sebastian a favor, and that was to find the bodies of Joker and his group. Apparently those who are sentenced to death are thrown away in a pit in the outskirts of the city. So he and Sebastian headed to the outskirts, but they couldn't be out for too long due Ciel's condition.

Ciel collected a variety of flowers and had them all bundled up in his hands. He limped over to the massive pit while Sebastian stood patiently nearby. There hundreds of bodies laying on top of the other and it was hard to distinguish which were Joker's and the others. Ciel's legs were shaking beneath him; the bodies were either being eaten by birds, or were nothing but bones. Ciel turned away from the gruesome scene and took a step back. Ciel instead just bowed his head and the sun's rays felt more intense on his body.

"I'm. . .sorry for what I've done," Ciel gulped down, his voice was breaking. "The torture you've endured . . .I went through the same thing, and it was . . ." he paused again, struggling to continue as his body shook. His legs were weakening and he grasped tightly to the cane. "the worst thing imaginable, I don't think I could ever fully recover from it to be honest, but it's all over now. . .there's going to be no more pain and we can be at peace. "

Ciel smiled sadly and dropped the flowers into the pit. The petals fluttered in a blend of many colors before falling on top of the broken bodies.

"It's all over now . . ." Ciel repeated softly and then he turned around. But instead of just seeing Sebastian, he saw a familiar face just a few feet away. Ciel's eyes widened and stood there stunned, she was just passing by on a camel and stopped to see Ciel, bearing a similar expression.

"Doll . . ." Ciel strained; he looked over at Sebastian who refused to get involved and back to the girl. Doll mounted off the camel and slowly walked over to Ciel. She was ill at ease with her shoulders slouching, not bothered to compose herself.

". . .I heard what happened." she mumbled and looked at Ciel directly. "You knew too, didn't you?"

". . .Yes." Ciel shamelessly nodded.

Doll walked passed Ciel and stood at the edge of the pit. A couple of tears dropped and her shoulders shook as she sobbed soundlessly. Ciel came over to her, patting her back for assurance but she continued to sob.

"Doll," Ciel spoke up after a while, turning to the teen who was wiping her eyes. "There's something I need to tell you, but . . .you're not going to like it."

"I don't want to hear it," Doll shook her head and headed back to her camel. "I don't want to hear anymore bad news."

"Wait!" Ciel called, he ran forward and briskly grabbed her arm. "Don't go, please . . ."

"Smile. . ." Doll's lips quivered and she glanced down at her feet that sunk into the sand. "I. . .just want to leave."

"Where will you go? You're not going back to your father, are you?" Ciel guessed hastily, if there was something that hadn't change, it was his sheer hatred towards that man. There was no way he would ever see him again and he was hoping that Doll wasn't going to go back, but she nodded instead.

"I have to tell him the news, and I'll probably have to stay with him. However, I don't think I should steal anymore, and you're right, Smile . . .it is pointless to give father more stolen goods, he has enough."

"Then why go back to him?" Ciel inquired, his eyebrows scrunched together to emphasize more of his bafflement.

Gleaming tears flowed down Doll's puffy, reddened cheeks and a small smile graced her features. "Because that's my home."

"Doll . . ." Ciel was taken aback, he didn't know how to react to that, he had no way to counter. Ciel just nodded in understanding, defeated, but acknowledged the girl's decision. "Alright, just be safe."

"What about you?" Doll asked, wiping her face and blinking away remaining tears. But her eyes remained glassy as always.

"I'm staying in the city, and I'm not going to steal either." Ciel confirmed, though he wouldn't say that he was actually staying at the palace.

" . . .So, I guess it's goodbye then." Doll stated, breathing out slowly and gave herself a moment to register that in before one more silver strand meandered down her cheek. The tear made a small crescent below her pink lips and dripped off her chin.

"Yeah," Ciel nodded, glancing down and when he looked up, Doll rushed in with open arms and hugged him. Ciel almost toppled over and dropped his cane. He managed to sustain his balance and then wrapped his arms around the girl.

"Be safe as well, Smile." Doll said before pulling herself away from him. She patted his shoulders a couple times before finally letting go.

Ciel smiled, he glanced over at Sebastian and then back at Doll. "It's not Smile anymore, it's Ciel."

* * *

**A/N:** Whew~ this chap is so long and it took me forever~ longest chap I've written and I feel quite satisfied for doing that. I actually got a bit sentimental at the end, I'm weird I know. But yup, this is it, the final chap to Diamond in the Rough. I tried my best not to disappoint, but if I still did, I'm very sorry. Again, a sequel wouldn't work out, so I had to tie everything up here. I'll probably get responses about Alois and why he appeared and died so quickly. Originally he was going to appear more, but I didn't know how to fit him in, plus he is the one who blinded Sebastian so that's really important, so he does play a big role, but I had to kill him off, unfortunately. I like Alois, but he had to go.

It's almost been a year since I first updated this, time flies by doesn't it? I just finished my first year at college and I'm finally on summer break. I remembered when I first planned this fic, I wouldn't have expected it to be this good, but of course, I've disappointed people and lost followers. There's a bunch of possible reasons. . .turning this to M, lack of yaoi, Seb being blind, the story dragging, etc. I've already explained this in another author's note, but if you must know, I always intended on bringing Sebastian's sight back, it would've been quite heartless of me if I didn't. If I was the one reading this and it's discovered that Seb's blind, I would be shocked too, but it would make me more curious of what's going to happen next. There's no way I would've let Claude win. I probably hate him more than anyone else here. I had Seb stab him through the chest, fairly sure you've all been waiting for something like that to happen.

And about the lack of yaoi. . .again, I tried to add it in when it was appropriate. Sometimes when I read smut, they can be placed in randomly and it's just there to be there. It's quite difficult here since there's a lot of things going on and Ciel and Sebastian keep on getting separated. I guess I could've tried to add in another scene somewhere, but again, it's difficult and the characters, especially Ciel, were constantly facing problems. The focus isn't the romance, it's about Ciel learning from his mistakes, starting over and tolerating Sebastian. It could be argued that there was no need for the smut/making this rated M (though wouldn't people getting tortured in a gruesome way count as rated M context?) but I did so to reveal a more possessive side to Sebastian, but how that possessiveness can lead into being protective and learning to develop feelings for Ciel instead of just messing with him. And of course, Ciel grows feelings for him too. But again, it's not the focus and I'm sorry again if you wanted more smut.

One more thing before wrapping it up, the reason why I didn't go with this idea at first was because I didn't think a majority would've liked the idea of Ciel being burnt in the bull. Since Sebastian became blind and I killed off the circus arc group with the torture device, I didn't think another character being tortured would be favorable, especially considering the twists I made, I would've thrown more people out of the story. But then I finally decided that I needed to make the climax more dynamic and intense, which would make a more exciting read than what I had before. And I also want to show how crazy I could make Claude while he's in power before killing him off.

Now I'll finally wrap this up, thank you everyone again, I really appreciated it, especially since this is one of my best fics so far but I've had so many problems with it. But luckily I was finally able to finish it. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me or review, other than that, thank you all again *hugs* :)


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